Holiday entitlement

jocstoke

I've recently returned to work following maternity leave, and my manager is requesting I book my holidays. Our holiday year runs October - September. My holidays were showing too many hours initially, so I spoke to resourcing and they were reduced to 199 hours (I work part time now but was full time previously). 199 was more than I was expecting but after working it out I agree with that figure. However, a few days later it increased to 295 hours. That is far too high, but I've queried it multiple times and my manager is insisting it's correct. I have this in writing. If I took the holidays would they be able to insist I repaid them, or end up owing them hours? It's so frustrating, I'm being pressured to book holidays I'm sure I'm not owed!

KiKi

Hi there

Yes, they could insist you cancel them (or worked back hours owed, or pay them) so definitely best to get it sorted. (Although if it was me and my error, I'd probably make a pragmatic decision about how to approach that rather than making you give the hours back!)

However, are you aware that you accrue AL whilst you're on mat leave? The additional 96 hours may be what you're owed from that.

What I would do in your position is speak to resourcing and and ask for a breakdown of that leave. Ask them what the additional 96 hours are for, and ask them to explain how it's different based on your calculations.

In the meantime, tell your manager that you'll book the AL as soon as you can - but you want to make sure you're not taking time you're not owed, as it wouldn't be fair on the business. If s/he has a problem with it, say you're waiting for a response from Resourcing, and s/he chasing them might help. But you do need a breakdown, not just a 'yes it's fine!'.

Worst case scenario (but I'm sure your manager can wait 48 hours whilst you get a response from Resourcing!) email and say that you'll book the leave, but you'd like email confirmation (ie, written!) that if it's an error (as you suspect) that you won't be asked to pay those hours back / work them.

KiKi

lush_walrus

You acrue holiday while on maternity, have you taken that already or is that what's been added to your entitlement?

jocstoke

Thanks for the replies. I'm aware I accrued days on maternity leave, they're included in the 199 hours (as well as bank hols). 199 is definitely right. My manager said the extra hours were ones I'd not taken the previous holiday year, but I took all my holidays before I went on mat leave (I was told I had to!). It's so tempting seeing them there to book all the school holidays off to avoid paying for holiday club, but I know it'll come back if I try to be dishonest!

jocstoke

I only work 5.5 hours a day so the extra hours are 17 days, that's a lot!

getmore4less

you will have full time accrued from previous years and up to returning to work part time then prorata for the rest of the year.

You are not giving any details to work out what the hours might be.

You would have to go back to beginning of holiday Oct 2015.

and full details of holiday allowance with BH, holidays taken etc. and dates of maternity and when you went part time(full hours and partime) hours)

LittleVoice

As the holiday year doesn't end until 30 September, why not book holiday now? If later it is confirmed you don't have all the entitlement you requested, is there a problem for the company if some you have booked for the summer is cancelled by you in a month's time?

jocstoke

OK, the way I worked out the 199 hours was as follows:

4/12 x 25 x 7 = 58.3 (My holiday allowance for the 4 months before I went part time)
8/12 x 25 x 5.5 = 91.7 (My holiday allowance for the 8 months I'm part time)
5 x 7 = 35 (bank holidays while I was on maternity leave)
2 x 7 = 14 (holidays not taken in previous holiday year)

TOTAL = 58.3 + 91.7 + 35 + 14 = 199 hours

(I previously worked 7 hours a day/35 per week, I now work 5.5 hours a day/27.5 per week, I get 25 days holiday plus bank hols, I went on mat leave mid May 2016 and returned 1st Feb 2017 - I think that was everything needed?)

I guess I can just book the time off and cancel it closer to the time if and when they say it's incorrect. It's just frustrating as if I knew I could take the time off then I wouldn't have to pay for summer holiday childcare for my son! Oh well...

getmore4less

when did you change to part time?

jocstoke

I changed to part time on 1st February. Our holiday year runs from 1 October - 30 September.

cook0891

Do they include bank holidays? My leave is worked out in hours and they give me hours including B/H which I then have to take off.