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Original poster

How are you going to use your annual leave?

40 replies

Burpalot · 05/05/2020 13:49

I've always been rubbish at taking a week or two of annual leave and staying at home. I end up spending all my time finding chores to do, and organising stuff in the house and not feeling particularly relaxed. I'm assuming holidays aren't happening any time soon, so not sure what to do?! I have 32 days to use up by the end of march 2021
What are you guys doing? (I don't have any DC)

OP posts:
sunflowery · 05/05/2020 13:56

I think I’m going to wait until we have a really sunny week forecast and try and book it off short notice. Then just spend it having bbqs, reading books and drinking cocktails in the garden!

Rainb0w · 05/05/2020 14:00

Hopefully my company will allow us to take days over to the next year, looks at the moment that we won't be back at work by June I don't want to use 33 days holiday in the short period of time between now and December particularly that I can't travel and I don't find stopping at home doing what I can do at weekends anyway particularly relaxing or enjoyable.

Original poster
Burpalot · 05/05/2020 14:00

I'm jealous of your garden! I have a large balcony. Guess I can drink on there!

OP posts:
BasinHaircut · 05/05/2020 14:06

I’m finding that I’m starting to just need a break from the current situation, DS is starting to struggle a bit, so I’m using 1 day a week leave at the moment to break things up a bit and focus more on DS.

The way my leave is structured due to only working equivalent 4 days per week over 5 days and getting bank holidays in lieu means that I end up with almost 8 weeks leave in a year so I really can’t sit on it.

DH has to take a week off in the first quarter of this FY so we will probably take a week off together in June and do some decorating. I’m hoping DS will be back at school to some degree by then so we can get a break, even if we can’t do much else.

AuditAngel · 05/05/2020 15:47

I’ll have 41 to use by June 2021.

Suggested to DH that I May take the kids away for 3 or 4 weeks next summer, he wasn’t impressed as can only take 2 weeks. I figure I’ll go away on my own instead then. He has a routine of a week away leaving me home with the children!

ClaudiaWankleman · 05/05/2020 15:55

I had 33 to use this year, and have to take 45% of it before the end of June.

I have booked almost the whole month of June off, hoping that by then the lockdown will have eased and I will be able to do more things than I currently can.

Other than that, I’ve got a few ‘projects’ planned (ranging from gardening to sort out the cupboard under the stairs), a couple of good books and I’m planning to do a 5km run each day. I won’t watch Netflix as I can’t do that all day - has to be an evening thing for me.

I’ll probably try some ‘adventurous’ cooking, i.e buying a whole fish to fillet rather than buying precut fish as I can follow along on YouTube.

Might also just drive to a different supermarket for a change of scenery!

Twospaniels · 05/05/2020 15:56

I am off next week. We were supposed to go on a UK cottage hol with my sister and BIL who live abroad.
I am still taking the time off and will end up doing stuff in the house or garden.
My husband runs his own company and he has told his employees they need to use their annual leave during lockdown as normal as they will not all be able to be all off at the same time whenever lockdown ends.
I think people are saving their annual leave now while they’re at home so they can use it when lockdown ends, but that won’t work for many companies to have everyone trying to be off at once.

TeapotCollection · 05/05/2020 16:00

I had already booked mine for the year to go to our (closed, obviously) caravan and as we’re not allowed to cancel any I guess I’ll be having most, if not all, of mine at home

BarbaraofSeville · 05/05/2020 16:06

Is your balcony nice to sit on? Or you never know, it might be OK to go to local parks and gardens in a few weeks.

I'm excellent at sitting at home and ignoring the housework and other jobs so am definitely planning to take some leave to just sit in the garden and read, eat and drink when the weather is good. Luckily my work is fairly flexible to allow this.

When it gets to winter catching up on any TV series you haven't had time to watch would also be good.

Some employers might allow leave carry over into 2021/22 so that's also something else to ask about rather than trying to use it all this year when you might not feel that it is well used. Although if you have any big cleaning, decorating or decluttering to do it could be a good use of the time, rather than trying to cram it into evenings and weekends.

eleflump · 05/05/2020 16:16

I think the government have said that leave from this year can be carried over into the next two years?

TeapotCollection · 05/05/2020 16:18

Eleflump our bosses have said that’s just a guideline and they don’t have to do it

Geometricprince · 05/05/2020 16:18

I've got the week after next booked off, it's my birthday and we were going to go away. I've ummed and ahhed about cancelling it but works been super stressful and I think I could do with a break, just don't know what I'll do with myself. DH will be at home but he'll be working. I've taken annual leave before with nothing planned but go out on day trips, out for lunch etc. Hopefully the weather will be decent so I can at least spend some time in the garden!

Goldrill · 05/05/2020 16:20

The first day the kids go back to school I will take some leave and sit in silence!

Dreamersandwishers · 05/05/2020 16:22

Not heard the Ele, but don’t think the government can dictate that to private business.
DH company have already confirmed that it will not be carried over at year end, so use it as normal. But he is still working so will have a few days at home in May instead of a holiday.

KatnissMellark · 05/05/2020 16:26

I've used mine to work four days a week, and then drop to three days a week over the past couple of months as both DH and O work full time, have a toddler and I'm now 9 months pregnant. It's certainly made life a little easier for all three of us and been nice to have some slower pace days where I focus on DS

HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/05/2020 16:27

I've got 36 days to take by April 2021. All leave has been cancelled at the moment and we can't book/rebook just yet.

Those of us that aren't furloughed have been told we will have first dibs so I'll (hopefully) be taking a couple of weeks in the summer and definitely Christmas.

I'll probably take a week at home once we're free.

MilkNoSugars · 05/05/2020 16:27

I think the government have said that leave from this year can be carried over into the next two years?

Employment legislation has been temporarily changed to give employers the right NOT to grant the required amount of statutory annual leave to employers and allow employees to carry it over for 2 years. If they want to.

It's aimed at essential workers who may not be able to take all their statutory leave this year because they are so needed at work.

However it's like furlough in that an employer can choose to allow staff to carry over the leave or not- it's not an automatic employee right. So don't be saving up your leave thinking you can take it next leave year instead as your employer doesn't have to allow this. My employer has said no leave can be carried over as we're not that busy!

sittingonacornflake · 05/05/2020 16:31

I've got to use 3 weeks of leave by end of August so I'm going to see what the end of lockdown plans look like and try and book it for when restrictions are most loosened and there is more chance of places being open and being able to travel, even if that travel is just day trips in my home county.

VenusClapTrap · 05/05/2020 16:37

Dh has announced he’s buying me a mountain bike for my birthday so that we can spend the summer going on long family bike rides.

I don’t like biking.

HaggisTheGreat · 05/05/2020 16:44

Once schools go back, I am going to take a few days off and just BE ALONE at home.
More generally though my company is talking about letting people carry over leave for longer and I think a lot of businesses (those that survive) will do similar.

WutheringTights · 05/05/2020 16:45

We have been told that we have to use 40% of our holiday by the end of June. I had three weeks booked in August and a week at October half term, plus Christmas booked, which I can't take now as I won't have enough left.

Glittertwins · 05/05/2020 17:16

@WutheringTights - I have the same problem now as well.

Unravellingslowly · 05/05/2020 17:23

I’ve already had to take more than half of mine, it was either that or unpaid leave.

I’m gutted as I had planned all the days I was going to book to get the most out of bank hols etc so I had maximum amount of days off but that’s all gone out the window now.

onemouseplace · 05/05/2020 17:25

DH is taking a day of annual leave a week instead of reducing his hours and salary by 20%. He's using the day to help with homeschooling.

LycraLovingLass · 05/05/2020 17:28

We have to use a third of our leave before the end of June, i have dropped down to 4 day weeks between now and then. I already had some used for Feb half term.

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