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Holidays policy

About this policy​

This policy sets out our arrangements for staff wishing to take holidays (also known as annual leave). This policy covers all employees at all levels and grades.

This policy does not form part of any employee's contract of employment, and we may amend it at any time. We may also vary the policy as appropriate in any case.

Your holiday entitlement​

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, rounded up to the nearest whole day.

Unless otherwise set out in your employment contract, you are entitled to 25 days' paid holiday in each holiday year, or the pro rata equivalent if you work less than 40 hours per week. In addition, you are entitled to take the usual public holidays in England and Wales.

Except as set out in this policy, holiday entitlement must be taken during the holiday year in which it accrues. Up to 5 days’ holiday may be carried over to the next holiday year. Any holiday in excess of 5 days which is not taken by the end of the holiday year will be lost, and you will not receive any payment in lieu.

Unused holiday in excess of 5 days can only be carried over to another holiday year:

  • in cases involving long-term sickness absence, as set out below;
  • in cases of maternity, paternity, adoption, parental or shared parental leave, as set out below; or
  • if otherwise required by law.

Taking holiday​

All holiday must be approved in advance by your line manager. You should normally give at least four weeks' notice of holiday requests to allow planning of rotas or work schedules where necessary. You must not make travel bookings until approval has been given.

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.

Sickness during periods of holiday​

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. 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 instead treat them as sick leave.

Company sick pay will only be paid for such days if you comply with our sickness absence policy, including notifying your manager immediately of your incapacity and obtaining medical evidence, even if you are abroad.

Dishonest claims or other abuse of this policy will be treated as misconduct under our disciplinary procedure.

Long-term sickness absence and holiday entitlement​

Holiday entitlement continues to accrue during periods of sick leave. 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 unused holiday to the following leave year.

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. 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​

Holiday entitlement continues to accrue during periods of maternity, paternity, adoption, parental, shared parental leave (birth), or shared parental leave (adoption) (referred to in this policy collectively as family leave).

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. For the avoidance of doubt, this covers your full holiday entitlement. 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​

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. You are entitled to be paid at a rate of ¹⁄₂₆₀ th of your full time equivalent basic salary for each day of untaken entitlement.

Other authorized absence​

We recognize that, on occasion, employees may wish to take short amounts of time off during the normal working day for personal appointments, and that in these circumstances they may not wish to use holiday days to cover this absence. Provided that:

the company is happy to allow employees to take this sort of authorized time off without using holiday.

However, where adequate notice is not given; and/or where the time off becomes (in the company’s view) excessive; or where there is any formal or informal disciplinary or performance management process ongoing; the company may, at its discretion, not authorize the time off, or require that the employee takes holiday to cover the absence.

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