I've just seen an article that says that a lot of UK workers don't take their holiday entitlement.

[Pepperypig]

Does anyone not take their full entitlement? I find it difficult to get holidays and have to book them far in advance - but I would never not take all my entitlement unless my boss paid me for the days that I hadn't taken. Same with working more hours - I work my lunch most days and stay late most nights, however, I wouldn't do it for nothing - I would expect to get overtime. AIBU? Is it not being a bit of a martyr not taking your full holiday entitlement?

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

I've had a few years of not taking all of it - not to be a martyr; I just struggled to find time to be off and didn't really need it! I quite enjoyed my job.

That said, I've taken all of it the past year and I'm eagerly waiting for this years to refresh - so I can see why some people take it all, but also how sometimes it just doesn't all get taken!

[RubyWho]

I've never been able to take my holiday entitlement to it's full extent - this is usually down to requesting leave and the request being rejected. That, coupled with protected times in the year where taking leave is vetoed means I usually have 5ish days left over. We can't carry over, and we aren't paid for leave which isn't taken.

I am looking for a new job.

[isseywithcats]

due to OH been in education he only has certain weeks he can book off, and due to me being in catering there are certain weeks i cant book off, so the ones he can have dont match the ones i do, im entitled to four weeks , so i book two weeks for our main holiday, one week off after christmas which im at home on my own for, and take the last week as pay as our holiday entitlement runs out at the end of february.

[Love51]

I always wonder if people who can roll them over are included in this. We can roll a week over in our place, I did this on purpose the summer before my kids started school to give myself a head start on the school holidays and sickness. So it was a 'strategic' non taking, they got taken eventually! I wouldn't have done that if I would have lost them.

[MimsyBorogroves]

I'm having this problem. I've had to work weekends and bank holidays so had them added onto my leave, then expected to work over hours and therefore lots of TOIL. They're also awful at giving me the time I actually want off, lots of hoops to jump through and having to make sure nobody else wants that time. I tried to book off all my leave at the beginning of the year and got thoroughly told off because it wasn't fair to anyone who doesn't pre-plan. It's a nightmare as it means I can't sort out any childcare etc for the holidays.

[tenbob]

In my old company, we could sell or buy holiday as part of flexible benefits

I used to sell back 5 days a year to take my allowance down to 20 days

I've been in my current job for 8 years and have rolled over 5-8 days per year, other then years I've been on mat leave

We still manage 2 foreign holidays and several long weekends away per year though

[lostleonardo]

I work for a very small company 3 days a week. If I take a week off then the weeks either side I work full time. It's a nightmare as no one else can do my job ( not brain surgery but company depends on what I do). I end up taking off a week and a few odd days ( we also close for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year without having to use holiday) and then get paid for my remaining entitlement.

It pretty much pays for our Christmas!

[IWantMyHatBack]

I don't, but I do get 27 days plus bank holidays. I always manage to carry over at least a weeks worth.

[Waggingmyginger]

Yes my DH doesn't as he ends up accruing more than he can reasonably take or carry over.

[Isleepinahedgefund]

I can roll over ten days (or more, at management discretion). My allowance is 30 days plus bank holidays, and I often don’t take it all in a year. I do make sure I take it though - I rolled loads over this year and I’ve been enjoying the odd day off “just because” rather than having it use it all up in school hols. It’s handy to have some in the bank as it were.

[AlonsosLeftPinky]

I've never struggled to use all my holiday allowance, even though it's pretty generous I often need to bank more lieu time too.

[ImNotMeImSomeoneElse]

I'm self employed and if I don't work I don't get paid. It can also be tricky to schedule in holidays, but I've been better the last two years.

Don't think I take the equivalent of the legal entitlement though. I always did when I was an employee, however.

[ToastyFingers]

DH sometimes doesn't. There isn't really anyone who can cover him for more than say, a week.

[bananafish81]

I'm freelance so it's a bit different as I don't get paid leave. I earn very well so could certainly afford to take time off, but apart from a week off last July, and when the office was shut between Xmas and new year, I haven't had more than a couple days off at a time since Oct 2016. I'm probably going to take a few weeks off after this contract finishes though.

[Barbaro]

2ndsopranos I know one of them too lol

[adaline]

We can carry a few days over if we need to but I've never been in that situation - in fact this year I'm taking a few extra days unpaid to help settle in our new puppy!

[Parker231]

Everyone should take their legal entitlement. No one is indispensable. I like my job but always make sure my team and I take our holidays. Would you rather be in work instead of having time with friends and family. All work and no play is no good for anyone. No one will thank you for being a martyr. Lack of cover whilst you are away is your employers problem, not yours.

[jessicasmummy04]

Paid annual leave is a legal right that an employer must provide.

Your employer must, at some stage within the annual leave year, allow you time to use up your leave entitlement.

[TheIsland]

I often don’t. This is partly because we didn’t have holidays when I was growing up so it’s not really a priority, and partly I have to take it when others can’t so I don’t really know what to do!

[Teeniemiff]

I take every hour of my leave (accrued in hours rather than days).
I do work extra hours & through lunch though & dont get paid. There’s the odd day I might be able to leave an hour early though so it’s swings & roundabouts.

[topcat2014]

Reputable employers (even small ones..) will try to ensure that annual leave is taken - even with restrictions on times.

Poor employers do not deserve the staff that put up with losing holiday.

No one ever gets remembered for being a martyr.

If you are the 'only one' who can do your job, well, your employer really ought to have some plans in place at the very least, to provide basic cover - or their business is on thin ice..

[Dljlr]

I've not taken my full entitlement in last five years nor will I this year and we have no option to carry over. This year I'll lose 3 weeks. It absolutely fucking sucks but every single application is turned down on the basis that they can't afford to have anyone off 'at that (any!!!) time'. It costs me a fucking fortune on in holiday club payments for my son during school holidays and it's really really starting to fuck me off!

[annandale]

Dljlr that's utterly shit. Have ACAS been any help in being sure of your exact rights? Can you sit down at the start of a leave year with your requests for the entire year in advance and force them to make a decision?

[Eastcoastmost]

More fool you dljlr