Anyone working in the NHS allowed to carry holidays over?

Miss_Moneysaver

Hi,

We have been told that we are not allowed to carry annual leave over to the following financial year (NHS). I have more than 10 years service so get 33 days plus bank holidays.

As we are so short staffed these days we are struggling to get any time off especially Jan-March. A few of us lost annual leave last year as we were unable to use it due to no vacant holiday slots. One girl lost 3 weeks worth!

Can they do this? The rule used to be that we could carry over 5 days if we were full time and 3 if we work 3 days etc.

Anyone else in the NHS under the same rule or is it just our cruel manager?

sangie595

It's usually management discretion. But the lesson to this is, don't leave three weeks leave until the end of the year...

clairec79

The only time we're allowed to carry over is due to long term sickness and maternity leave (and they prefer you to avoid if possible (so for example when I started Maternity Leave in the October they wanted me to take all my leave before going off)

You can do up to 5 days at managers discretion but apart from sickness right at the end I've not known anyone be allowed it

JamoLew

We are allowed to carry over the equivalent of one weeks leave

Comms69

5 days, managers discretion.


Ask your manager when you can use your leave allocation if you cant find a slot.

Intoodeep

Miss_Moneysaver wrote: »

Hi,

We have been told that we are not allowed to carry annual leave over to the following financial year (NHS). I have more than 10 years service so get
33 days plus bank holidays.

As we are so short staffed these days we are struggling to get any time off especially Jan-March. A few of us lost annual leave last year as we were unable to use it due to no vacant holiday slots. One girl lost 3 weeks worth!

Can they do this? The rule used to be that we could carry over 5 days if we were full time and 3 if we work 3 days etc.

Anyone else in the NHS under the same rule or is it just our cruel manager?

A total of 8 weeks and 1 day in Holidays, what's the point of going to work

jobbingmusician

Miss_Moneysaver wrote: »

A few of us lost annual leave last year as we were unable to use it due to no vacant holiday slots. One girl lost 3 weeks worth!

This is illegal. ACAS is clear that 'Workers must take at least 4 weeks of statutory leave during the leave year, they may be able to carry over any remaining time off if their employer agrees.'

I understand that the NHS is always stretched, but you need to clarify with your employer (ideally earlier in the leave year) when you are going to be allowed to take you holiday. It is no use employers handing out generous leave entitlements if employees are then not able to use them....

Comms69

jobbingmusician wrote: »

This is illegal. ACAS is clear that 'Workers must take at least 4 weeks of statutory leave during the leave year, they may be able to carry over any remaining time off if their employer agrees.' - not necessarily. NHS workers can get upto 41 days leave, so losing 3 weeks wouldn't put them below for minimum 4 weeks.

I understand that the NHS is always stretched, but you need to clarify with your employer (ideally earlier in the leave year) when you are going to be allowed to take you holiday. It is no use employers handing out generous leave entitlements if employees are then not able to use them....

I quite agree, in my team we look at the seasonal periods and work on a rota system.

gwynlas

Usually 5 days at managers discretion, supposedly to be taken in first month of new year. At one Trust they would allow more if holidaying in homeland eg Caribbean.
No one should be loosing holiday. If staff cannot agree fairly amongst themselves then managers responsibility to rota leave appropriately, If your leave year is April-March they should be checking on regular basis that staff up to date with leave eg every three months all staff should use up a quarter of their leave.
If asked to delay leave for any reason please ask for this in writing.

gwynlas

Usually 5 days at managers discretion, supposedly to be taken in first month of new year. At one Trust they would allow more if holidaying in homeland eg Caribbean.
No one should be loosing holiday. If staff cannot agree fairly amongst themselves then managers responsibility to rota leave appropriately, If your leave year is April-March they should be checking on regular basis that staff up to date with leave eg every three months all staff should use up a quarter of their leave.
If asked to delay leave for any reason please ask for this in writing.

emg

The main reason they prefer not to have people carry over leave is that it has financial implicatons for their end of year accounts. At times when our trust has been in surplus at the end of the year they have been a lot more flexible in allowing holiday to be carried over but at the moment we are forecasting a deficit and so being warned that we will not be able to carry any leave over this year so to plan it all in now.