Is This Allowed ?

UnicornLove18

My employer is the NHS. 

They have stated that members of staff in our department MUST take 1 weeks annual leave before the end of June 2020. 

This is so when things return back to normal , there is not an excessive amount of people off at the same time. If some aspects of lockdown and social distancing is still in place until then (highly likely!) can this be enforced ? Our holiday entitlement isn't going to be used by us as it was intended and we do feel this isn’t actually fair to force us to take annual leave especially when we can’t do an awful lot anyway !!! 

Legally , can an employer FORCE you to take annual leave under the current circumstances , especially as the government advised that employees have the right to carry holiday entitlement over to 21/22 ??? 

Any advice help would be gratefully received. Thank you 

p00hsticks

Yes - as long as an employer gives you 'reasonable' notice they are allowed to tell you when you must take your annual leave.

'Reasonable notice' is defines as twice the time that they are asking you to take - so two weeks notice for you to take a weeks holiday, two days for you to take a day etc

Thrugelmir

Seems perfectly reasonable. Is your department functioning normally at the current time? Rolling over holiday is simply going to compund the problem for your management team. Going for long periods at work without a break isn't healthy either. Everybody needs time out on a regular basis. Holiday options maybe extremely limited this year. 

sharpe106

The being able to roll the holiday over was partly for companies that had to cancel holiday due to excessive workload, probably mainly with the NHS in mind. If they had been over run with patients and had to cancel every bodies holiday. But as yet that has not happened. 

Thrugelmir

sharpe106 said:

The being able to roll the holiday over was partly for companies that had to cancel holiday due to excessive workload, probably mainly with the NHS in mind. If they had been over run with patients and had to cancel every bodies holiday. But as yet that has not happened. 

Hospitals have empty beds. No where near capacity. With what would be regarded as normal activities either curtailed or totally suspended for over a month now. 

sliphi

UnicornLove18 said:

My employer is the NHS. 

They have stated that members of staff in our department MUST take 1 weeks annual leave before the end of June 2020. 

This is so when things return back to normal , there is not an excessive amount of people off at the same time. If some aspects of lockdown and social distancing is still in place until then (highly likely!) can this be enforced ? Our holiday entitlement isn't going to be used by us as it was intended and we do feel this isn’t actually fair to force us to take annual leave especially when we can’t do an awful lot anyway !!! 

Legally , can an employer FORCE you to take annual leave under the current circumstances , especially as the government advised that employees have the right to carry holiday entitlement over to 21/22 ??? 

Any advice help would be gratefully received. Thank you 

As mentioned, it is legal.

But which NHS department is this?

I find it astonishing, at this time of National Emergency, when the NHS is under greater strain than ever, and they are trying to recruit anyone they can, paid or unpaid, that have the skills to assist them through this crisis, that they are asking telling fellow employees to take leave at this critical time.

Oh, welcome to MSE, btw

sharpe106

sliphi said:

UnicornLove18 said:

As mentioned, it is legal.

But which NHS department is this?

I find it astonishing, at this time of National Emergency, when the NHS is under greater strain than ever, and they are trying to recruit anyone they can, paid or unpaid, that have the skills to assist them through this crisis, that they are asking telling fellow employees to take leave at this critical time.

Oh, welcome to MSE, btw

Not all NHS departments are busy most of the work has been cancelled. Some areas have very few cases so although everything has been cancelled there is little to do. Whereas other areas are stretched to capacity. 

sliphi

sharpe106 said:

sliphi said:

UnicornLove18 said:

As mentioned, it is legal.

But which NHS department is this?

I find it astonishing, at this time of National Emergency, when the NHS is under greater strain than ever, and they are trying to recruit anyone they can, paid or unpaid, that have the skills to assist them through this crisis, that they are asking telling fellow employees to take leave at this critical time.

Oh, welcome to MSE, btw

Not all NHS departments are busy most of the work has been cancelled. Some areas have very few cases so although everything has been cancelled there is little to do. Whereas other areas are stretched to capacity. 

I understood the reason that the non-essential work has been cancelled at this time of National Emergency, was to free up resources (thats people as well as beds) to create as much capacity as possible.

I'm not sure how closing down departments and laying off those who work there would free up/create any extra capacity?

sharpe106

It hasn't created any extra capacity my answer was just a reply to someone who couldn't understand why a bank member of staff had not been redeployed. 

sliphi

sharpe106 said:

It hasn't created any extra capacity my answer was just a reply to someone who couldn't understand why a bank member of staff had not been redeployed. 

Sorry, you quoted me in the earlier reply of yours, so I assumed it was a reply to my post.

That'll teach me to assume, won't it?

As you were. At least Thrugelmir found your post helpful, so at least you've assisted someone with your reply.

Who was it you were intending to reply to?
And who mentioned a bank member of staff?

sharpe106

Probably quoted the wrong person, getting old.