How do you use your AL and how soon into the year?

[VaxMerstappen]

We're nearly in June, and I'm just curious to hear how much of your allocated annual leave people have used so far this year? Whether that's for actual holidays (abroad or in this country), random days or just for unexpected reasons?

I've not had a full week off since Christmas, and won't be doing so until July. I've had a few (between 3-5) random days off for day trips and for sitting an exam, but nothing other than a day at a time. My work requires me to book Bank Holidays off to take them off, which initially I thought was pretty rubbish, but it does give me the freedom to save those for when I have more planned or the weather is better.

Although it is hard not to feel slightly envious of people on social media who seem to have been able to take weeks off every month up to now! But this isn't a 'who works hardest' competition, I'm just genuinely curious.

Other than my week in July, I may also have a long four day weekend in June, and also time off around my birthday in August. After that, it'll be the long slog till Christmas, where I always try to save enough to have a good break - two weeks if I'm lucky.

But what about you? I guess for most it will centre around term time.

My AL year starts 1st April. I have had a long weekend in April and have a week off booked in July, October and February. We also have to use AL to have the days between Xmas and new year. Other than that, I just use odd days so I have a day off each month (be it AL or a BH), but those aren't booked yet. I have bought a week's extra AL this year for the first time ever.

I had 37 days on Jan 1st and have 30 days remaining to use. I take a day or 2 during school holidays, accrue toil and have 2 days to use up so taking one day today and one next week for an extra long weekend (annoyingly had something on tomorrow that was going to be a pain to arrange cover for so working tomorrow).
I will use 10 days for a family holiday over the summer, another 6 days for a holiday just dh and I and probably 5 days during the October half term for a holiday with dh and ds. Will most likely have a long weekend break with friends at some point so ancojole of days then. Everything leftover will be used throughout December on carried over to next year. Other toil days will pop up across the year. We get bank holidays in addition, Christmas Eve until 2nd Jan our work closes down so don’t need to book any leave then.

We use our AL for nothing but holidays. We’re lucky that we both work for the same company and we don’t have to use annual leave for anything child/family related, any deliveries, hospital appts etc so it’s all just for holidays. It begins on 1st of January, we have 30 days plus bank holidays and we shut down for two weeks over Xmas and new year. We have it very good.

I get 26 days plus bank holidays off. I carried over 5 from last year which covered two weekends away. I still have my full annual allowance. Will take 9 days in July for a holiday. I have also booked a week off in November. I still have 12 days available.
will probably end up carrying a week over as I have the past few years.
allowance runs Jan to Dec.
our busy period is November to March so rarely take anything then. Also can’t really take beginning or end of month. So it doesn’t leave much chance for week plus holidays with the rest of the team.
ive only ever had 2 fortnight long holidays in my 20 years working.

Besides public holidays I've had 3 days off this year, got 10 more accounted for (including the 3 days we have to use between Xmas and NY) and 17 still unaccounted for.

Our leave year is nearly over so I’ve been using excess leave to work 4 day weeks.

I normally take more but I’ve been unwell so couldn’t do much for a lot of the year.

That is amazing!!

Ours has changed a bit over the years but I tend not to take any till around May time (I am part time and can be in for tradespeople etc on non-working days). No childcare to consider but we are only just out of being restricted to school holidays to go away. Had a week off to go abroad a couple of weeks ago, nothing else booked yet, neither of us generally has much issue with our employers as to when it's taken.

One thing I do like is that we don't shut down for Christmas, I'd hate to have to use annual leave in the middle of winter with no choice in the matter, now we don't have childcare to worry about (we used to go away with the DCs). I really like going in, it's quiet, relaxed and a great time to catch up with things.

Yeah we’re really lucky! I could write a book about the fantastic things we benefit from with our Director! I don’t take it for granted!

So far six days of the 26 I have a year (excluding bank holidays).

I work 3 days per week and get the pro-rata equivalent of 6 weeks off.

My leave year runs from the beginning of March.

I use all my annual leave for holidays as I can use flexi time for anything unexpected.

I have 2 weeks off in June (abroad), 1 week in October (abroad) and 2 weeks in January (abroad).

I've also had a couple of short breaks (Europe and the UK) but not had to use any annual leave with only working 3 days.

I have 3 days annual leave left to take and will likely use these for longer weekends for breaks in the UK/Europe, but may carry a day over to the next annual leave year.

I don't take additional time off over Christmas or during any of the school holidays.

I know I'm very privileged to be able to use all my annual leave on holiday - I'm child and mortgage free.

I work for the railway and they tell us when we are taking most of our leave. We have a total of 30 days because we work bank holidays. 2 days have to be used for Christmas and Boxing Day. They allocate us 5 weeks. I had my first in March. My main summer holiday is the last week of May and first week of June. I have a week in October and a week in November. I have 4 days of daily leave to use as I was request. I had to use one to take my daughter to the airport for her holiday and I’ll keep the other 3 for emergencies.

I spread it out through the year, and usually try to take more weighted to the second half of the year as that feels better psychologically!

Typically take all of it in school holidays / for family holidays or family time.

Apart from a few rare occasions we have gone away Feb half term often don’t take any til Easter when BH means a week for 4 days. May half term attractive as usually nice weather and again BH means a week for 4 days. I used to have to take two weeks consecutive at some point for compliance reasons (Finance job) but don’t now so sometimes 2 weeks in summer sometimes 1 week and odd long weekends / clustered days for festivals or trips. Usually a week Oct half term and I try to take as close to two weeks over Christmas (again making the most of BH meaning not as many days required) as I can manage around other team members / how the days fall.

I get 27 days and can buy a further 5 days so have 32 in total.

I get 5 weeks a year plus the bank holidays. DDs are both in primary school so it is all used in school holidays.

Usually I take a week at Easter, two weeks in Summer and a week at Christmas. Then the final week I will use odd days dotted here and there (sometimes I have a bit more if bank holidays mean I don't need to take as much annual leave to get a whole week off).

For example next week is half term and I'll take a day off then, I'll do the same and take a day at October half term. DH does similar so that DDs don't have to be in holiday club for whole weeks in the school holidays, just a few days here and there.

In general I try not to go more than 6 weeks without having at least one day off.