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Original poster

Annual leave

92 replies

Mumteedum · 04/04/2025 21:10

I'm just curious.

How much annual leave are you entitled to and how much do you actually take?

I take most of mine but I'm not on a research contract. I know some colleagues do research in the summer but then I'm wondering if they actually take their annual leave too?

OP posts:
Marasme · 06/04/2025 13:05

not sure how many i get, but i book it all, on january 1st, every year

but this always ends up with me working some of it (usually half), to supervise the summer dissertations, cover the marking, deal with the urgent grant deadline, etc.

i then fool muself that i ll take that time "in lieu" ...

then a conference comes along, and that in lieu time becomes travelling time, or catch up time.

tbh, work has stripped me of any non academic identity, and i have very few hobbies left

bge · 06/04/2025 14:09

That’s sad. I’m sorry

Marasme · 06/04/2025 16:15

agree - it s pretty shit!
i m trying hard to push back, but i ve not yet found a way which does not mean that it s my research time that takes the hit.

once the pastoral, teaching, marking, phd supervision and feedback, admin is prioritised, not many hours are left if i stick to 37.5h

maybe the secret is just to do much much less and celebrate every tiny win, which deep down, i find super trite

Marasme · 06/04/2025 16:15

or maybe i m just slow... which is quite possible

Original poster
Mumteedum · 06/04/2025 20:03

Marasme · 06/04/2025 16:15

or maybe i m just slow... which is quite possible

I don't have research time, but in my experience, workloads are simply impossible for some/most staff especially if they are programme leaders etc. Something is always late or not done.

We all work at different places, so don't be hard on yourself.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mumteedum · 06/04/2025 22:48

Paces..,. not places!

OP posts:
Excitingnewusername · 11/04/2025 22:23

@Mumteedum surely being on a teaching only contract doesn't mean you can't apply for researcher jobs outside HE? I was on teaching only contracts for a long time but still research active and research trained 😊

I am trying really hard to use my annual leave this year for the first time ever, but it's hard as the work in summer doesn't really go away in the way it used to with a few big admin jobs on my plate. I normally have a big chunk of marking over each break but managed to avoid that this year with different deadlines. So wanted to take advantage before next year which is due to be even worse in terms of workload. (also I was on my fecking knees with exhaustion)

I'm on leave at the moment and have checked my email pretty much every day so far (but been good at not replying to anything non-urgent re admin and research, nothing pastoral, or teaching related that wasn't life or death) and had to have a couple of meetings as they were only possible at those times. I also annoyingly have something unexpectedly to revise and resubmit on a short deadline (which I need to do for probation) which I won't have time to do when leave ends as I'm teaching and marking. So that will need to be done.

So yeah... Annual leave isn't really happening... Even when I'm really trying to take and protect it.

I think I just convicned myself to be better at being off for the rest of Easter!

grandnational · 11/04/2025 22:37

I agree @Mumteedum - if you have research skills you will be credible as a researcher outside academia, even if you're currently on a teaching contract. Outside academia those differences are less important, even if it matters hugely within the sector.

@Excitingnewusername - this was my experience too. I'm sorry! It's not down to poor boundaries; it is genuinely impossible, and July/August have been getting much busier every year. I'm looking forward to proper summer holidays this year.

Original poster
Mumteedum · 12/04/2025 08:03

Thanks @Excitingnewusername and @grandnational . It's nigh on impossible to do any research as the workload is so high and they're looking to increase further. I don't think I'd have enough to demonstrate I can do it really.

Though lots of people on this thread are doing way more hours than I can manage in my circumstances.

Anyway, thanks for all replies. Food for thought. I think I need to just rest and get better. Pondering while unwell is probably not the best idea!

OP posts:
grandnational · 12/04/2025 13:12

@Mumteedum well... maybe you're not ready to make the leap, which is fine! I do miss teaching and the adrenaline of it all. You should absolutely stay for as long as there are positive reasons to stay.

If you have had research training in the past, or have done a research degree, you will be qualified for a great deal of research work. Research is much broader than writing journal articles.

Original poster
Mumteedum · 12/04/2025 13:31

I have masters not an mres or PhD. So don't think I'm quite a qualified as you might assume. I came into HE from industry experience in a creative arts field so it's all baby steps.

Just finding it all a bit hard going just now.

I thought trying to move towards research would nourish me in some way but it all feels uphill. I think it's my personal circumstances. Just a bit worn out with everything and the teaching only contract feels under valued and less fulfilling.

As I say, I'm not looking to jump imminently but always wonder what else I could do just in case.

Thank you for the support. I'm not feeling confident about myself just now. At a bit of a low ebb.

OP posts:
MumOnBus · 21/04/2025 09:58

35 days but I typically lose about 10 -- I can roll 5 days over to the next year but that doesn't help as "the next year" I continue to be too busy to take a break. What I won't do is work in any leave, so in the odd 25 days or so that I do take, I properly disconnect from work.

AppleCream · 21/04/2025 10:12

30 days plus Christmas closure. I take nearly all of it, mostly over the summer as I'm on a teaching only contract.

worstofbothworlds · 23/04/2025 09:06

When I had one preschool and one school age I also struggled, but also had to take days over the uni closure. So I took them and DH put in a couple of days from home (not academic) but now they are older I take the odd day in September before our AL year renews and I have some time to myself.
I work PT including a Monday so I always have to use a full day leave for BH (except Fridays).
I do try to use them up - as we can't carry that much over - I also take a day in lieu if I work my Friday or a full day e.g. event at the weekend.

phyllidafosset · 23/04/2025 09:24

I get 35 days, plus Christmas. I never take all of it. But I do take all of August (although I do always have to do a day or two of work when I am on leave). I won’t take leave and use it for research (intentionally, at least) because I do not want the Uni to get the idea that my workload enables me time to do all my research AND take my holiday. When I was more junior, with young kids, my senior male boss (with no kids) told me, when I complained about there not being enough time to do research, that that was what annual leave was for.

Along with my fantasy 35 days of annual leave, my contract states 35 hours a week. Once you get to Prof, they caveat that with ‘or what is needed to get the job done’, and so essentially vindicate their insane workloads.

Original poster
Mumteedum · 23/04/2025 10:18

It's so good to see all the different responses and perspectives. I'm pretty sure my contract says do whatever to get job done and I'm only SL, though I find it very interesting that colleagues who have joined my department in recent years all get days in lieu for open days and I have never asked for it and it is not in my contract.

I'm still feeling at a bit of a crossroads. I think it's also influenced by feeling unwell. I've not got away over Easter as I've had a virus that's knocked me out and I'm still recovering.

OP posts:
Ineedcoffeenow · 23/04/2025 11:51

I’ve also had the ‘do the hours required for the job’ in my contract from the very start.

GCAcademic · 23/04/2025 12:16

Yes, the "hours required for the job" is standard. There's also something in there about the university operating 7 days a weeks.

Original poster
Mumteedum · 23/04/2025 12:20

Silly really isn't it as we all know we could work 24 hours a day with what they throw at us!

OP posts:
MumOnBus · 23/04/2025 12:23

Have you considered doing a PhD? There are scholarships for home students and with your profile, you would do great!

Original poster
Mumteedum · 23/04/2025 12:30

MumOnBus · 23/04/2025 12:23

Have you considered doing a PhD? There are scholarships for home students and with your profile, you would do great!

I haven't really considered it. I can't afford the drop in salary and I've a lot on personally which means I am needing to stick to my contracted hours as much as possible. Maybe one day when my child is older perhaps. Thank you for the encouragement though.

OP posts:
MumOnBus · 23/04/2025 13:54

I did mine when my child was in primary school. Did it part time through a teaching scholarship but it was indeed a (temporary) salary drop. There is no career progression in HE without a PhD so bear that in mind.

atriskacademic · 25/04/2025 23:21

Interesting to hear all your perspective on annual leave. I take all my AL, but take a, say, flexible, approach to it For example, before Easter, I had officially booked AL on the 11th of April, but didn't get all the stuff done I wanted to do, so ended up working on and off on the 12th whilst the kids rolled around at home. That I think is ok. In the week after, I was then 'properly' off, minus the compulsive e-mail checking (didn't respond to anything though).
My son has a lot of medical appointments. I never take leave for those - I simply catch up on the evenings (rarely on weekends).
I am also quite flexible in the summer. Our leave year ends end of July, and generally I have leave left to take then. However, last year my family had to delay our main holiday into August. So I 'officially' took my leave end of July and actually worked, and then went on leave in August when I hadn't actually taken annual leave. In the summer, nobody is around to check, and if there is an urgent urgent e-mail I will reply!
I am sure my career would not crawl at a snakes pace if I worked through some of my AL, but self-exploitation is not my thing.

ItsDrActually · 25/04/2025 23:38

We get 42 days altogether including Christmas closure and public holidays. I book every last day that I'm entitled to. I also take back time for e.g. marking on a weekend or writing an application to meet a deadline.
That said, I usually end up doing some work stuff during my leave, as my masters and PhD students are around all year.

EBoo80 · 26/04/2025 08:14

@atriskacademic email
is work too though. (Some weeks it seems to be my main role…)
I would rather spend a day of my leave writing a paper than keep an eye on my inbox. But I work in teams where, if something genuinely emergent came up (and I’m very skeptical how often anything in our line of work really is) one of them could call me. Switching off from email is my favourite thing about AL.