Do I have to use my leave?

Snowy2018

Morning all,

Looking for advice on my annual entitlement.

My new entitlement starts 1st January 2019.

My issue/advice is currently I have 20 unused days left. If I'm honest I don't want to use them - sad I know, buit I don't like taking time off, it throws me off my routine.

Can I just simply not use them? Is it that simple, or am I missing something? Hence the advice.

Snowy2018

Double post to correct errors as it seems the edit button is blanked out.

Morning all,

Looking for advice on my annual leave entitlement.

My new leave entitlement starts 1st January 2019.

My issue/advice is currently I have 20 unused days left. If I'm honest I don't want to use them - sad I know, buit I don't like taking time off, it throws me off my routine.

Can I just simply not use them? Is it that simple, or am I missing something? Hence the advice

TELLIT01

That's down to your employer. Some insist, quite rightly in my opinion, that staff have to take annual leave. Others are happy to have somebody effectively give them extra days at work free of charge.

sangie595

Get a life. And I mean that quite literally. Employment is a means to an end. If all that end entails is paying bills and never talking any time off, that will take a toll on you. You may not see it now or tomorrow, but the toll will come. Leave is there for your benefit - it is good for your physical and mental health.

In the end you can be forced to take it, but your employer doesn't have to force you to. On the other hand, they won't pay you for it either. So toy may as well take it.

[Deleted User]

Have you really managed 9 months without anyone querying if you are taking leave? If so it sounds like they don't care if you'll lose money.

Do not like suggesting but you could ask HR if they will do a buy back? But if you've been there any time you may have an idea on if they will do this.

I personally would like to keep leave back for emergencies - think snow time this February/March - for me that was at least one holiday day uterlised. Nearly 3 weeks into a new job I got to upset to continue working one day and was able to take half day holiday.

Another company were like if you get stuck on a call beyond work time, then instead of overtime being paid, there is a pot that builds even more leave so you may be best of getting over the fear of constantly working.

kazwookie

You need time off to refresh, if you keep working you could get very tired / stressed and unable to do the job correctly.

Just take thetime and imagine it is like a weekend so it does not upset you, you will still get paid..

Robin9

I expect you will be forced to take about 5 days over the Christmas period but that will still leave 15.

Take a short break - Europe, UK it doesn't matter - follow up a hobby with a special interest week a change of scene - something on the calendar to work towards, make arrangements for - even if its who's going to look after the cat.

I'm plotting a week away in October - a part of France I've never been too.

Doshwaster

If taking a day off throws you off your routine, how do you cope with weekends and Bank Holidays?

Just think of all of the things you could be doing with some time off work. Even if you have no interest in going away on holiday you could decorate the house, watch that boxset you've been meaning to catch up on, go on a training course to learn a new skill or volunteer somewhere. It's just healthy to switch off from the day job for a few days while getting paid for it.

Maybe you could ask to use up your 20 days by taking every Friday or Monday off for the rest of the year so giving you 3 day weekends.

sangie595

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Do not like suggesting but you could ask HR if they will do a buy back? But if you've been there any time you may have an idea on if they will do this.
[\QUOTE]



Ask HR to do something illegal? I think not.

Employers can only "buy back" if they give more than statutory leave. The OP hasn't taken their statutory leave.

Smodlet

For goodness sake! Most people would give their eye teeth for more annual leave, even just one day. Read a book if you can't think of anything else to do. If you don't have any, there are these fast-disappearing places called libraries. Why not check one out while you still can?

Go for a walk, get one of those all day travel bus tickets, go out for a meal. Join an evening class; it is new term time after all, hell, there must be a million things you could do. Learn a new language, experiment with new recipes or even take a cookery course.

Go volunteer at a place which does something you are interested in. Do you like animals? Children?

As a last resort, you can waste hours and hours on here. Check out the Great Dane in a Bag for Life thread from years ago. I howled with laughter.

If you are really so upset by the thought of not being at work, is there any online training you could do to improve your chances of promotion, perhaps?

Failing all of the above, seek help. If work is all that keeps you going, you are heading for trouble imho. We all need balance. HTH.

dawyldthing

I’d strongly suggest you use you annual leave. Even have 2 days off every week until it’s all used up. If you have worked all bank hols (it all depends on your job) you might even have the nearly 28 days built up. There’s 12 weeks left of the year so could do three day weeks until beginning December. It’s free money, no stress and you are entitled to it. Do something you enjoy, just don’t lose it