April 2024
De
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H
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H
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P
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1.0
This holiday policy sets out employees’ entitlements to annual leave and the
Organisational rules on taking annual leave. Under the Working Time Regulations
1998, employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual
leave in each leave year. This entitlement includes public holidays.
1.1 5.6 weeks of annual leave will convert into different entitlements for each employee
dependent on their individual working arrangements. Individual
contracts of
employment will detail an employee’s personal entitlement. For
example, 5.6
working weeks (28 days) leave will, by the nature of their working week, convert to
fewer days or hours of annual leave for a part-time employee when compared to a
full-time employee. The pro-rata principle may also apply to other practical
arrangements, other than for part-year employees (i.e., those that are not required to
work 52 weeks a year).
1.2 All leave must be pre-authorised by the Organisation. Taking leave without
authorisation will be considered a gross misconduct offence. Taking leave despite
a declined request will be considered a gross misconduct offence. Gross
misconduct offences may result in dismissal without notice. Further rules on
booking leave from work are given below.
The Organisation’s holiday year runs from January to December.
2.0
Book
i
ng
lea
v
e
Employees must give notice of their request to take leave. Please request
your annual leave using Breathe HR for approval by your Line Manager or
assigned holiday approver.
The following notice periods which apply to employees when requesting leave
are as follows:
Pe
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Pe
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A week or more (five days or more) 2 weeks
2.1 The employee’s direct manager will notify the employee by using Breathe HR
to confirm whether their request has been granted. Should a request be
denied the Line Manager will respond via email setting out the reason the
request couldn’t be approved.
2.2 Employees should not make any firm travel or accommodation arrangements
etc until they have received written confirmation that their request for leave
has been granted. There may be circumstances where the Organisation
cannot grant the request, such as operational/staffing requirements. The
Organisation is not liable for any loss incurred by an employee, such as lost
deposits, if they incur costs and make commitments before receiving
confirmation.
2.3 There may be more requests than usual for leave that coincide with school
holidays/half terms if there are several employees with children of school age. The
Organisation will make every effort to accept as many of these requests as possible
but has to have regard to its operations and ensuring there is sufficient cover for all
work to be undertaken, considerations which sometimes need to take priority over
granting all these types of requests.
3.0 O
r
g
a
n
i
s
a
t
i
on
al
r
e
qu
i
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e
m
e
n
t
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The Organisation may reasonably require an employee to take annual leave
without prior notification for reasons which will be explained to the employee at
the time.
3.1 The Organisation may ask an employee to cancel any previously agreed leave. There
may be various reasons for this, such as operational or staffing
issues, or business
commitments that require the employee’s presence. The
Organisation
recognises the inconvenience that this may cause an employee and, therefore,
understands that the employee may refuse this request.
3.2 The Organisation will decide on whether, where the cancellation is agreed and
the employee suffers a financial detriment eg lost deposits etc, the employee
is to be reimbursed.
3.3 P
ub
li
c
ho
li
d
a
ys
Due to the needs of the business, it may be necessary for an employee to
work on a public holiday. Where this happens, employees will be entitled to
take a day’s leave at another time in the leave year to be agreed with their
direct manager by business needs.
3.4 H
o
li
d
a
y
p
a
y
During annual leave, employees will receive their normal pay.
4.0 Ne
w
s
t
a
rt
e
r
s
a
nd
p
r
e-
book
e
d
lea
v
e
During the recruitment process, prospective employees may be asked
whether they have any leave booked that would take place after the
commencement of employment. If the individual is recruited, the Organisation
will normally allow such leave to be taken.
4.1 The rules on accrual of annual leave may mean that the employee has not, at
the time that leave is to be taken, accrued such length of leave to cover their
holiday. In this case, the employee and the line manager will agree how any
time off in excess of accrued leave will be covered.
4.2 It is Organisational policy not to permit leave within 2 months of
commencement of employment unless leave was pre-booked before
employment commenced.
5.0 H
o
li
d
a
ys
a
nd
s
i
ckn
e
ss
The normal sickness notification procedures will apply to an employee when they
are on leave and wish to reallocate the period of leave as sickness with the result
that reconvened leave may be taken at another time in the leave year. Where the
required notification is made, the Organisation may permit those days to be
classed as sick days and equivalent time off taken as paid leave later in the leave
year provided the leave falls within the statutory minimum entitlement. The days
on which the leave is to be taken must be agreed with the Organisation.
5.1 Employees who are on holiday when they fall sick should contact the
Organisation as soon as reasonably practicable.
6.0 Fa
m
il
y
lea
v
e
Employees may become entitled to either maternity leave, paternity leave,
shared parental leave or adoption leave. Family leave is in addition to the
employee’s statutory 5.6 weeks of annual leave.
6.1 Annual leave will continue to accrue during periods of family leave and, as part
of a pre-leave meeting that will be arranged between the employee and their
line manager, a discussion will take place covering the taking of annual leave
around family leave.
7.0 U
n
t
a
k
e
n
a
nnu
al lea
v
e 1
The Organisation encourages employees to use all of their leave entitlement
each year so that they have the opportunity to rest. Employees should ensure
they take at least four weeks annual leave in each leave year.
7.1 An employee can carry forward three days of annual leave into the next leave
year. The line manager has sole discretion to permit or decline this, subject to
the provisions on sickness below.
7.2 If sickness means that an employee cannot take their full leave entitlement in
a leave year, the employee may be able to carry forward some of the leave to
the next leave year. This is usually limited to a maximum of four weeks’ leave,
minus any leave already taken (including public holidays).
7.4 Ordinarily, the Organisation will not permit payment in lieu of annual leave
unless exceptional circumstances apply. In every case, payment in lieu of the
statutory minimum entitlement will not be permitted.
8.0 Te
r
m
i
n
a
t
i
on
o
f
e
mp
l
oym
e
n
t
When employment terminates part way through a leave year, the employee’s
leave entitlement will be recalculated pro-rata. This will determine the amount
of leave the employee would be entitled to, for the period of service during the
leave year.
8.1 Any outstanding leave accrued but untaken will be paid to the employee in
their final pay. This is subject to the right of the Organisation for the employee
to take their outstanding leave during their notice period. Otherwise, the
amount due for outstanding leave will be added to the employee’s final pay.
8.2 If the employee has exceeded their pro-rata entitlement to holidays at the time
they leave their employment, this will be classed as an overpayment and an
amount to cover this will be deducted from their final pay, subject to the
maximum that their final pay permits.
9.0 Re
v
ie
w
The management committee is responsible for ensuring that this policy is reviewed
annually to ensure continued relevance and good practice. Updates and
amendments may be proposed, considered and approved via an SGM.
L
a
s
t
upd
a
t
e
d
:
April 2024
Da
t
e
o
f
n
e
x
t
r
e
v
ie
w
:
April 2025