Holiday pay

TELLIT01

Blatchford wrote: »

If they have the opportunity to take them before the end of the year, and simply don't take them, then the employer is perfectly entitled to "keep" the money!

I agree, and have not stated otherwise. I said that if an employer refused to allow holiday to be taken then the employee is entitled to payment for those days. If an employer tells an employee they must take all their entitlement by the end of August and the employee fails to take them through their own inaction that's a different matter. In the situation outlined by the OP it seems they may be considering leaving it until the last possible minute to request holiday, believing they can force the employer into paying holiday pay because of staffing requirements.

To avoid that, all the employer needs to do is tell employees that they must book all holiday by x date. If that date is (say) 3 months before the end of the leave year there is plenty of time for said employer to tell the employee they can't have their required date and must take holiday on dates set by the employer.

getmore4less

If an employee is unable to take holiday within the holiday year due to the employer blocking and the employer won't carry over or come up with a way to pay then keep very good records.

On leaving employment retrospective claim going back to previous years have been tested in the courts.

Savvy_Sue

I'd check what the contract or staff handbook says about length of leave periods. In many places taking more than 2 weeks at once would not normally be allowed.

bonzojim

Hi again everyone, thanks for taking time to reply

Over the past 18 years, I've been allowed to take blocks of 5 week holidays a few times (sometimes it's been granted by the unit manager, sometimes I've been told because it's over two weeks I needed to send a hand written letter to the HR department and give reasons why). The last time I wrote to HR in 2015, word got back she said No (so yes I was worried my latest request would be turned down again).

Those two blocks of two weeks I mentioned in my first post were granted by the unit manager. I was obviously trying to avoid the letter to HR. The unit manager saw this week that I wanted and said I wouldn't be able to have it (despite not being authorised to grant it anyway).

Around the start of July next year, the plan was to ask my unit manager for this other week in August and if he thought it wouldn't be possible, then ask him which week or 5 separate days would be suitable (I'm giving him over 4 weeks notice for 1 weeks holiday).

@Blatchford. I have no problem with working several months before taking a break And we do get those paid bank holidays Occasionally we have shutdowns too (1 week near Bank holiday August, 1 week at Christmas) During shutdowns, all staff can choose unpaid leave or use up holidays.

@TELLIT01. I'm not leaving it to the last minute, I'm giving them four weeks notice, hoping they will allow me 'that week' that I want, If not, I'm okay with them saying you have to take these dates instead.

For me, taking 5 weeks rather than shorter holidays saves me money. Why pay for flights to South Africa twice when you can pay for it once? Visas, other transport too. I'm not a beach person and I like spending quality time in other places.... I was going to add I'd love to go on a volunteering holiday but Blatchford might make a joke about working all the time

Thank you all again

Blatchford

Well the sensible thing would seem to be to explain all that to the employer and not to us? They might be more amenable if they have an explanation - and if you actually were volunteering then they might be a lot more amenable, but I assume that isn't the case. It just seems rather risky leaving it until July when that is peak holidays times anyway.

Savvy_Sue

bonzojim wrote: »

Around the start of July next year, the plan was to ask my unit manager for this other week in August and if he thought it wouldn't be possible, then ask him which week or 5 separate days would be suitable (I'm giving him over 4 weeks notice for 1 weeks holiday).

《Snip》

@TELLIT01. I'm not leaving it to the last minute, I'm giving them four weeks notice, hoping they will allow me 'that week' that I want, If not, I'm okay with them saying you have to take these dates instead.

You do realise that you're no more entitled to a full week of the employer's choosing than you are to the five week break you're trying to wangle?