What is a standard holiday entitlement notice period

katy123

Hi

I was just wondering what a typical /fair noticed period is for holiday entitlements. I've heard if you want 1 day, you need 1 week notice, 2 day, 2 weeks, etc. What is the norm? THank you

Andy_L

"The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day. For example, a worker would give 3 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave.

An employer can refuse a leave request or cancel leave but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, plus 1 day. For example, an employer would give 11 days’ notice if the worker asked for 10 days’ leave.

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply."

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/booking-time-off-

TELLIT01

The only formal notice period I am aware of is for an employer to cancel previously approved leave.  That required a notice period equal to twice the leave being taken.  e.g. if 1 day of leave has been approved, 2 days notice of cancellation has to be given.  1 week leave would have to be cancelled 2 weeks in advance.

There is no requirement for an employer to agree to any requested leave dates as long as the employee does have the opportunity to use all their statutory leave entitlement.  An employee cannot, for example, give 2 weeks notice of requiring a week off and have any automatic right to take that holiday.

Undervalued

katy123 said:

Hi

I was just wondering what a typical /fair noticed period is for holiday entitlements. I've heard if you want 1 day, you need 1 week notice, 2 day, 2 weeks, etc. What is the norm? THank you

If the employer wants an employee to take some of their leave then the minimum notice that must be given is laid down in law as twice the length of the leave that the employee is being instructed to take.

The notice that the employer must give to cancel any leave that had previously been agreed is as Andy_L has said above.

Strictly speaking there is no legal right for an employee to take any of their leave when they choose. Taken literally the employer can totally dictate when the leave must be taken. In practice most employers allow at least some booking of leave and can set pretty much whatever rules they like for doing so.

General_Grant

Andy_L said:

"The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day. For example, a worker would give 3 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave.

An employer can refuse a leave request or cancel leave but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, plus 1 day. For example, an employer would give 11 days’ notice if the worker asked for 10 days’ leave.

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply."

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/booking-time-off-

I looked at the linked website and

- wondered about the "plus 1 day".  Perhaps they are counting the day the notice is given as that "plus day".

- saw "If an employer wants a worker to take leave, they need to make sure that the worker can relax, rest and enjoy leisure during their holiday. For example, an employer cannot force a sick worker to take leave."  I can understand the sick worker example but it seems a bit harsh to say that an employer needs to make sure that the worker can relax, rest and enjoy leisure.  So they have to be aware of and enable a worker to cope with all their domestic responsibilities which could prevent this????!!

Undervalued

General_Grant said:

Andy_L said:

"The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day. For example, a worker would give 3 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave.

An employer can refuse a leave request or cancel leave but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, plus 1 day. For example, an employer would give 11 days’ notice if the worker asked for 10 days’ leave.

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply."

https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/booking-time-off-

I looked at the linked website and

- wondered about the "plus 1 day".  Perhaps they are counting the day the notice is given as that "plus day".

- saw "If an employer wants a worker to take leave, they need to make sure that the worker can relax, rest and enjoy leisure during their holiday. For example, an employer cannot force a sick worker to take leave."  I can understand the sick worker example but it seems a bit harsh to say that an employer needs to make sure that the worker can relax, rest and enjoy leisure.  So they have to be aware of and enable a worker to cope with all their domestic responsibilities which could prevent this????!!

Likewise but, thinking about it, notice for most / all employment law purposes starts the day after it is issued. So I think you are right.

getmore4less

TELLIT01 said:

The only formal notice period I am aware of is for an employer to cancel previously approved leave.  That required a notice period equal to twice the leave being taken.  e.g. if 1 day of leave has been approved, 2 days notice of cancellation has to be given.  1 week leave would have to be cancelled 2 weeks in advance.

There is no requirement for an employer to agree to any requested leave dates as long as the employee does have the opportunity to use all their statutory leave entitlement.  An employee cannot, for example, give 2 weeks notice of requiring a week off and have any automatic right to take that holiday.

The legislation says different.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1833/regulation/15/made

To NOT take leave 4b applies


The legislation does not cover any previously agreed holiday.

getmore4less

Contract can override this and in most cases does through "holiday needs approval" terms.
Then unless they specify notice periods they can use zero.

Often contract have notice of holidays built in, bank holidays and specific terms around holiday in notice.

getmore4less

Should have added, the default legislation(unless overridden by contract) is

You ask for holiday(or get told to take it)  twice the period of notice.

if you then don't get told not to take it with one period of notice it is in effect approved.