Policy 6: Holidays policy

About this policy

• 1. This policy sets out our arrangements for staff wishing to take holidays (also known as annual leave).
  2. This policy covers all employees at all levels and grades, including full-time, part-time, permanent and fixed-term employees, managers, directors, trainees, and homeworkers.

Your holiday entitlement

• 1. The company's holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December. If your employment starts or finishes part way through the holiday year, your holiday entitlement during that year shall be calculated on a pro-rata basis.
  2. Unless otherwise set out in your employment contract, you are entitled to 28 days' paid holiday in each holiday year, or the pro rata equivalent if you work part time. This is inclusive of Northern Ireland statutory holidays.
  3. Employees may be required to work on statutory holidays as the business is operational on these days.
  4. Except as set out in this policy, holiday entitlement must be taken during the holiday year in which it accrues. Any holiday not taken by the end of the holiday year will be lost and you will not receive any payment in lieu.
  5. Unused holiday can only be carried over to another holiday year:
     1. in cases involving sickness absence, as set out in paragraph 5;
     2. in cases of maternity, paternity, adoption, parental or shared parental leave, as set out in paragraph 6;
     3. in any other case where your Manager has given permission in writing limited to no more than one week to be taken in the first two months of the next leave year; and
     4. if otherwise required by law.

Taking holiday

• 1. All employees should plan at least 50% of their annual leave by the end of March.
  2. All annual leave should be planned by the end of May.
  3. Any leave that has not been scheduled by this time may be allocated by management to ensure the full entitlement is taken within the leave year.
  4. All holidays must be approved in advance by your Manager. You should normally give at least four weeks' notice of holiday requests to allow planning of rotas or work schedules where necessary.
  5. You must not make travel bookings until approval has been given.
  6. We may require you to take (or not to take) holiday on particular dates, including when the business is closed, particularly busy, or during your notice period.
  7. Maximum continuous leave will normally be:

• Up to 3 consecutive weeks during the year.

• During June, July, August and December, the maximum continuous leave will be limited to 2 weeks due to operational demand.

Sickness during periods of holiday

• 1. If you are sick or injured during a holiday period and would have been incapable of work, you may choose to treat the period of incapacity as sick leave and reclaim the affected days of holiday.
  2. Employees already on sick leave before a pre-arranged period of holiday may choose to cancel any days of holiday that coincide with the period of incapacity and treat them as sick leave.
  3. Dishonest claims or other abuse of this policy will be treated as misconduct under our disciplinary procedure.

Long-term sickness absence and holiday entitlement

• 1. Holiday entitlement continues to accrue during periods of sick leave.
  2. If you are on a period of sick leave which spans two holiday years, or if you return to work after sick leave so close to the end of the holiday year that you cannot reasonably take your remaining holiday, you may carry over up to a maximum of four weeks holiday to the following leave year (depending on how much leave you have taken in the year that has just ended).
  3. Carry over under this rule is currently limited to the four-week minimum holiday entitlement. If you have taken four weeks' holiday by the end of the holiday year, you will not be allowed to carry anything over under this rule. If you have taken less than four weeks, the remainder may be carried over under this rule. For example, a full time employee who has taken two weeks' holiday plus two bank holidays before starting long-term sick leave can only carry over one week and three days.
  4. Any holiday that is carried over under this rule but is not taken within 18 months of the end of the holiday year in which it accrued will be lost.
  5. Alternatively you can choose to take your paid holiday during your sick leave, in which case you will be paid at your normal rate.

Family leave and holiday entitlement

• 1. Holiday entitlement continues to accrue during periods of maternity, paternity, adoption, parental or shared parental leave (referred to collectively in this policy as family leave).
  2. If you are planning a period of family leave that is likely to last beyond the end of the holiday year, you should discuss your holiday plans with your manager in good time before starting your family leave. Any holiday entitlement for the year that cannot reasonably be taken before starting your family leave can be carried over to the next holiday year.
  3. For the avoidance of doubt this covers your full holiday entitlement.
  4. Any holiday carried over should be taken immediately before returning to work or within three months of returning to work after the family leave.

Arrangements on termination

• 1. On termination of employment you may be required to use any remaining holiday entitlement during your notice period. Alternatively, you will be paid in lieu of any accrued but untaken holiday entitlement for the current holiday year to date, plus any holiday permitted to be carried over from previous years under this policy or as required by law.
  2. In the event that you have taken leave in excess of your pro rata entitlement up to that point in the annual leave year, then we will be entitled to deduct the appropriate sum from your wages calculated in direct proportion to the excess leave taken