Annual leave entitlement

xkissthestarsx

I wonder if anyone could give me some advice as I've been unable to find what I am looking for on the Gov UK page. I want to know if the below is correct and if staff on a higher grade can be entitled to more annual leave then staff on lower grades? is that discrimination? I currently work for the NHS and our annual leave is calculated on length of service.

So, I've applied for an admin based job at a university, the job is a grade 4 and I'd be working full time 5 days a week. I was having a look through the benefits and what they offer there staff. When I came to what they offer there staff for annual leave it states on there website that I'd be entitled to the following.

Annual and additional leave

The amount of annual leave you are entitled to is dependent on your grade:

• 27 days pro rata for grades 1 to 6

• 30 days pro rata for grades 7 to 9

In addition to 8 bank holidays, you’ll benefit from the three days between Christmas and new year when the University closes (pro rata for part-time staff).

Thank you.

TheSpiddalKid

Is it permitted, Yes
Is it discriminatory, No. 

pramsay13

As long as you are given the legal minimum there is no issue. 
You are looking through the benefits and will choose your job based on pay and benefits, so a better job with higher annual leave entitlement will be more attractive. 

theoretica

Just as higher grades can be paid more, so long as you are above the legal minimum (wage or holiday) differences are legal.  May well be that they increased the holiday as it seemed more affordable to them than a larger pay increase at some time.

saajan_12

Is it 27 days + the 8 bank holidays + 3 days after Xmas, or are those included in the 27? 

If they are additional, then that's pretty generous - the legal minimum is 28 days including everything, and in my (annecdotal) experience, most places are pretty close to the minimum. 

Beyond the minimum, paid holiday is part of your compensation package and can absolutely vary by skill / seniority / performance / grade etc etc. 

xkissthestarsx

saajan_12 said:

Is it 27 days + the 8 bank holidays + 3 days after Xmas, or are those included in the 27? 

If they are additional, then that's pretty generous - the legal minimum is 28 days including everything, and in my (annecdotal) experience, most places are pretty close to the minimum. 

Beyond the minimum, paid holiday is part of your compensation package and can absolutely vary by skill / seniority / performance / grade etc etc. 

That's what I thought it could be which tbh, as you say pretty generous. But then I was thinking would the 3 days in between be paid for? As the university will be closed. Either way I will ask when I get to meet the manager when I have a look around.

Ah I thought that it could be down to that but I couldn't for the life of me find anything to confirm this and felt I was going in circles looking for the answer.

Thank you very much for your response

Undervalued

xkissthestarsx said:

I wonder if anyone could give me some advice as I've been unable to find what I am looking for on the Gov UK page. I want to know if the below is correct and if staff on a higher grade can be entitled to more annual leave then staff on lower grades? is that discrimination? I currently work for the NHS and our annual leave is calculated on length of service.

So, I've applied for an admin based job at a university, the job is a grade 4 and I'd be working full time 5 days a week. I was having a look through the benefits and what they offer there staff. When I came to what they offer there staff for annual leave it states on there website that I'd be entitled to the following.

Annual and additional leave

The amount of annual leave you are entitled to is dependent on your grade:

• 27 days pro rata for grades 1 to 6

• 30 days pro rata for grades 7 to 9

In addition to 8 bank holidays, you’ll benefit from the three days between Christmas and new year when the University closes (pro rata for part-time staff).

Thank you.

In a way yes but it is not unlawful discrimination!

Surely, by your argument, giving more holiday based on length of service is just as "discriminatory"? But again, perfectly lawful.

prettyandfluffy

I read it as meaning those 3 days are paid which is pretty generous; my former employer used to close the office for 3 days and those 3 days came out of your annual leave entitlement.

lincroft1710

In the Civil Service higher grades always got (and perhaps still do) more leave allowance than lower grades

Undervalued

prettyandfluffy said:

I read it as meaning those 3 days are paid which is pretty generous; my former employer used to close the office for 3 days and those 3 days came out of your annual leave entitlement.

Although it is not common these days, it would be perfectly lawful for an employer to close for 28 days per year (or whatever additional leave their staff may get), threat that as holiday and allow no other at all!

artyboy

If the OP is concerned that more senior people get more holiday, best not mention that they probably get paid more as well