Annual leave approved before notice period - can my employer revoke it?

weespoon1

Hi all,

My husband and I booked our honeymoon back in January, long before I had any intention of leaving my current job. I was offered a great new position and accepted last week, handing in my required 3 month notice period.
The annual leave for my honeymoon which was approved back in January lies in my notice period and the holiday has been booked costing us a few thousand pounds. Would my employer be able to revoke it?
Thanks!

motorguy

weespoon1 wrote: »

Hi all,

My husband and I booked our honeymoon back in January, long before I had any intention of leaving my current job. I was offered a great new position and accepted last week, handing in my required 3 month notice period.
The annual leave for my honeymoon which was approved back in January lies in my notice period and the holiday has been booked costing us a few thousand pounds. Would my employer be able to revoke it?
Thanks!

They could try. If they were a bunch of miserable !!!!s, yes.

If they tried i would say "i am happy to work with you on a handover plan that facilitates my pre-agreed annual leave request within the constraints of my remaining notice period" or similar.

If they want to be silly !!!!!!s i'd revise your end date to the date you plan your leave, and advise your new employer you may wish to start sooner than expected.

weespoon1

Thanks - considering 4 of us handed in our notice at the same time (and none us knew the others were doing the same thing) I'm concerned they may try to.

From what I can see by the research I've done they have to have a genuine business need to refuse it and it could be challenged. I'm waiting on them confirming if the entitlement I have left has taken this approved annual leave into account.

I'm wondering what the consequences would be if I were to say what you suggested but made it very clear that I am going on that holiday? It's giving me a lot of anxiety, among the other stresses and boss being in a pretty bad mood that all of his team are leaving in one go.

getmore4less

Check your contract there may be provisions in that you need to consider.
Not unknown for must/can't take holidays in notice.

weespoon1

I've been told I can take holidays during my notice period, however I'm concerned that the 2 weeks that were booked and approved months ago would fall outside of the annual leave I've accrued since I won't be there for a full holiday year. The annual leave was requested and approved and a holiday booked months ago before I had any thought of leaving.

leslieknope

weespoon1 wrote: »

I've been told I can take holidays during my notice period, however I'm concerned that the 2 weeks that were booked and approved months ago would fall outside of the annual leave I've accrued since I won't be there for a full holiday year. The annual leave was requested and approved and a holiday booked months ago before I had any thought of leaving.

if you haven't accrued enough holiday allowance to cover those two weeks off, they will deduct it from your final wage. so you will find your last paycheck is a lot less than expected - make sure you factor this in.

getmore4less

What is the holiday year and allowance, does this booked take you over prorata.

weespoon1

20 days for the year running Jan-Dec - I'll be finishing in June. I can understand them removing the days from my last pay cheque which wouldn't bother me - what I'm more concerned about is that they try to revoke them and being jerks about it.

stator

Well. what are they going to do? Chain you to the desk?
They can't stop you taking leave, even if they 'cancel' it.
Worst they can do is deduct days pay from your final salary payment

weespoon1

I had the same thought - they are in the habit of threatening employees with legal action if they try to negotiate their notice period down (has happened in the past) which is why I'm worried they might be difficult about it.

rtho782

Fine, but it might just so happen you're quite poorly sick those two weeks. Cough Cough.