Buying extra annual leave

[Scarlettjade]

Work have brought in a new policy, allowing staff to buy up to 5 additional annual leave days per year.

We currently get 28 days + bank holidays.

28 days is usually plenty enough annual leave, but I’m thinking that most people would jump at the chance of getting more time off work for only a small reduction in pay (buying 5 days would result in a 2% reduction on my annual gross salary).

Just keen to hear what others would choose to do?

This is fine as long as it doesn’t reduce your pay to below the National Minimum Wage

I used to buy an extra week of every year until I went down to 4 days. I don't really need the extra leave now that I have every Friday off.

We can buy up to 10 extra days where I work.

I always buy the 10 days. The time is more important than the money.

I've always bought the max possible, and always will!

Wow, I am surprised. I would love more holiday but it seems like a lot of money to lose so I would never do it!

Work don’t care how much time I take off provided I get the job done, so the number of days annual leave I have is all a bit academic.

An extra week off just means I do the same work across fewer (longer) days - there’s no way I’m paying for that privilege.

I always did it for the tax saving! Now we have unlimited holiday so not a thing.

I sell the maximum three days each year and put it into my pension to get full tax relief.

I’m always busy at work and I enjoy my job so don’t really miss it TBH

This would be my dream. I would buy the maximum available.

I get 30 days plus bank holidays with the option to buy an extra 5 days. I've bought two for this year.

I don't think there is a tax saving though? It's literally just salary sacrifice.

When I lived in the UK I bought additional holiday (4 weeks a year), it worked out cheaper than taking four weeks of unpaid parental leave a year as a days holiday cost 80% of your daily earnings (no idea why that was the policy).

I can buy a week for the first time this year. I’m not sure I’ll bother as it has to be used 1 July-24 December and I’ve already got 3 weeks of school holidays booked off.

I've just been looking into this. I'm not great at maths... It costs a days salary, so I think I would be out of pocket compared to putting 2 kids in holiday club for £40...

I always used to do it at my last workplace because it helped out with the childcare and having extra days in reserve for children's illness. But still had the same issue as a previous poster where I still had the same billable hours target.
I have now moved to a workplace with a Flexi time policy so no longer make use of buying annual leave because I have the added benefit that the extra hours i invariably put in go towards the extra child illness/school training days or just time off!

I'd love to do it if someone else did my job while I was off. But that never happens, so I'd have less money for the same amount of work.

I can buy up to 5 a year but also sell them
I know people who do both but most stick to their allowance which goes up to 28 a year

I know people who buy them and don't use them and regret it

I often think of selling some as I never use my 28 days

I've bought an additional 5 days . All my usual holiday is taken up going abroad and I wanted a week to just chill at home

I used to purchase annual leave in my old job, took me up to 6.5 weeks plus bank holidays. This was pre kids & DH used to make the most of it as he is self employed. It was a no brainer.

We can buy or sell a week, I always buy a week to take extra days throughout the year

I always buy the maximum

We can buy 5 days but none of us take it
It costs us usual pay so whatever min wage is, about £416 for 5 days and pay it back at £38 per month

I am very envious of those that can buy and sell their AL .
We get 28 days but have to work all the bank hols except Christmas day.
We can't carry any over to the following year either, use them or lose them 🙄

I used to do this until I realised it was unnecessary.

Now I just save up and when I can afford to I apply for a week or two of unpaid parental leave.

I'd rather this as I find it more flexible than committing to lowering your salary for a whole year.

I buy every year: it’s one of my
favourite things to spend money on!