Coronavirus and annual leave

Zenit

Comms69 said:

Zenit said:

Undervalued said:

Zenit said:

TELLIT01 said:

Zenit said:

Can't have annual leave, something about employer/employee insuramce

I've never heard anything like that before, and that sounds like an excuse grabbed out of thin air.  Your employer may be worried about not being able to provide staffing levels they are expected to provide but that's a different situation completely.

Yes I think that is the case 

They don't actually need and excuse or have to offer any reason. Employment law allows an employer to either instruct employees to take leave or to cancel leave that has been "booked", just by giving fairly minimal notice.

It is perfectly lawful (although fairly uncommon these days) for an employer to close for 28 days per year and allow no other leave at all!

The business is not closed, its a private home for elderly. ALL leave is cancelled for the rest of the year, most staff have had none this year. 

Have you asked them, when you can take your legally entitled leave?

No because it has just been written in a staff message book, so everyone is just taking it for granted. 

custardy

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Comms69

Zenit said:

Comms69 said:

Zenit said:

Undervalued said:

Zenit said:

TELLIT01 said:

Zenit said:

Can't have annual leave, something about employer/employee insuramce

I've never heard anything like that before, and that sounds like an excuse grabbed out of thin air.  Your employer may be worried about not being able to provide staffing levels they are expected to provide but that's a different situation completely.

Yes I think that is the case 

They don't actually need and excuse or have to offer any reason. Employment law allows an employer to either instruct employees to take leave or to cancel leave that has been "booked", just by giving fairly minimal notice.

It is perfectly lawful (although fairly uncommon these days) for an employer to close for 28 days per year and allow no other leave at all!

The business is not closed, its a private home for elderly. ALL leave is cancelled for the rest of the year, most staff have had none this year. 

Have you asked them, when you can take your legally entitled leave?

No because it has just been written in a staff message book, so everyone is just taking it for granted. 

That's not really an answer. Just ask them, using words, verbally

Zenit

custardy said:

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Yes as that would mean waiting 8 months or more until annual leave, and that would mean some would not get any for 18 months as in reality who wants annual leave in Jan or Feb. I usually start my first booked week in May and my last week annual leave last year was December. So that would be 18 months. 

Comms69

Zenit said:

custardy said:

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Yes as that would mean waiting 8 months or more until annual leave, and that would mean some would not get any for 18 months as in reality who wants annual leave in Jan or Feb. I usually start my first booked week in May and my last week annual leave last year was December. So that would be 18 months. 

You may not get a choice when it's taken. It's likely the employer will realise and simply tell people to take an odd day here and there

Gavin83

Zenit said:

custardy said:

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Yes as that would mean waiting 8 months or more until annual leave, and that would mean some would not get any for 18 months as in reality who wants annual leave in Jan or Feb. I usually start my first booked week in May and my last week annual leave last year was December. So that would be 18 months. 

Look, the time between leave is irrelevant. They can define when you take your leave (most companies are somewhat flexible but they don't have to be) but they have to let you take it. Just tell them you've got X number of days leave left and when would they like you to use it. I'd get this in writing if possible, via email will do.

eamon

My employer is doing something similar. Those of us that are furloughed are being asked to take/book our annual leave as we normally would. For me that means a couple of days tacked unto the Spring Bank Holiday, a fortnight in August and the remainder scattered in December and early 2021. In purely selfish terms it sucks as there is nowhere to go. But equally they will not allow hundreds of employees to save their leave until after this is all over. In effect for many millions of people there will be the possiblity of no actual Summer holiday this year. Yes its not nice but there isn't really an alternative.

Undervalued

Zenit said:

custardy said:

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Yes as that would mean waiting 8 months or more until annual leave, and that would mean some would not get any for 18 months as in reality who wants annual leave in Jan or Feb. I usually start my first booked week in May and my last week annual leave last year was December. So that would be 18 months. 

Those that like to go skiing perhaps or to holiday in the southern hemisphere!

However, that is not really the point. As has been explained, an employer can largely dictate when you can and cannot take your leave (obviously within the law). They may have allowed far more flexibility in the past and they may do so again in the future. However we are in unprecedented times and it may be that, short of looking for another job, you have to make the best of it this year.

As other have said, ask your employer politely what they are proposing regarding holidays this year and take it from there.

Zenit

Undervalued said:

Zenit said:

custardy said:

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Yes as that would mean waiting 8 months or more until annual leave, and that would mean some would not get any for 18 months as in reality who wants annual leave in Jan or Feb. I usually start my first booked week in May and my last week annual leave last year was December. So that would be 18 months. 

Those that like to go skiing perhaps or to holiday in the southern hemisphere!

However, that is not really the point. As has been explained, an employer can largely dictate when you can and cannot take your leave (obviously within the law). They may have allowed far more flexibility in the past and they may do so again in the future. However we are in unprecedented times and it may be that, short of looking for another job, you have to make the best of it this year.

As other have said, ask your employer politely what they are proposing regarding holidays this year and take it from there.

They are not proposing any leave at all. Some have had some leave whilst the majority have none. 

Gavin83

Zenit said:

Undervalued said:

Zenit said:

custardy said:

Gavin83 said:

Have you asked them when they would like you to take your annual leave?

This is how I would frame it. Cancelling leave for the rest of the leave window, 4 months into the year is simply unacceptable.

Yes as that would mean waiting 8 months or more until annual leave, and that would mean some would not get any for 18 months as in reality who wants annual leave in Jan or Feb. I usually start my first booked week in May and my last week annual leave last year was December. So that would be 18 months. 

Those that like to go skiing perhaps or to holiday in the southern hemisphere!

However, that is not really the point. As has been explained, an employer can largely dictate when you can and cannot take your leave (obviously within the law). They may have allowed far more flexibility in the past and they may do so again in the future. However we are in unprecedented times and it may be that, short of looking for another job, you have to make the best of it this year.

As other have said, ask your employer politely what they are proposing regarding holidays this year and take it from there.

They are not proposing any leave at all. Some have had some leave whilst the majority have none. 

Have you actually asked them? What exactly have they said?