A question about annual leave in the NHS?

[KitKat1985]

Hi. Am asking on behalf of myself and also some other colleagues who have voiced similar concerns. I work in the NHS and work a contracted 37.5 hour week. However, because of the shift patterns I actually work 34.5 hours one week, and then 40.5 hours the next (so that it averages out to 37.5 hours a week per fortnight). When I take annual leave weeks it either gets deducted as 34.5 hours, or (much more commonly) 40.5 hours. I think all my annual leave weeks should be 37.5 hours as I am finding I'm losing a day or two's holiday over the course of a year by having annual leave weeks of 40.5 hours rather than 37.5. A colleague who works nights has similar issues and has e-mailed and asked why her annual leave weeks are being counted as being 40 odd hours rather than 37.5 and was told it was because management wanted us to use up our annual leave allowance quicker. Can they do this?

Am also in a grump today as I have been put down to be on annual leave next week even though I haven't booked this, and then if I take annual leave next week I don't have enough hours annual leave left to take the annual leave that I have booked (which was booked several months ago and agreed by my manager).

All our managers just seemed focused on using up our annual leave as quickly as possible. I think, in reality, it's because where they have recently merged two staff teams they've suddenly realised that's lots of people are going to be due leave in March time and they are panicking and trying to make sure we have as little leave left for March as possible so as they are not short-staffed. Are they allowed to do these things though?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Is your annual leave calculated in hours? Sounds like it is and you are being deducted for the number of hours you would have worked that week. So your number of hours of annual is correct, but it is spread over fewer days. If you want your leave to go further always take it on your 'short' weeks.