To think this holiday allowance is unfair?

[QueenOfThorns]

Sorry, I know this should probably be in the Work section, but I needed somewhere with more traffic so I can make a decision quickly.

I have recently accepted an offer of employment from a company who I really like the look of - many former colleagues work there and seem to like it. They have also been really flexible and agreed to let me work part time hours, but spread over 5 days, so 6 hours per day.

Today I received the usual paperwork to sign, including my contract of employment. It all seems as expected, except that it specifies that my holiday entitlement is 25 days (including public holidays), on a pro rata basis, with a full-time employee getting 33 days. This doesn't seem fair to me, after all, it would take me exactly the same number of holiday days to take a week off as a full-time employee, so why should I get fewer? (I had previously negotiated a similar working pattern with my current employer, changing from 4 full days to 5 shorter ones, and they were going to increase my holiday allowance to that of a full-time employee, which suggests that I'm not being totally unreasonable to think this would be fair!)

Does anyone have a working pattern like this and can you tell me whether you get the full holiday entitlement? Or is there anyone out there who works in HR who knows what would be standard practice?

I'm hoping that they just haven't thought this through, otherwise it feels a bit like they're trying to take the piss. And I'm not sure that I want to work for them if they are! Either way, I think it's a deal breaker for me unless they change this - I'd be sad to walk away, but I'm prepared to do it!

What do you think?

You should be getting the 33 days but would only be paid for your 6 hours each day. I'm an employment lawyer.

is it because your system allows you to take the leave in hours?

You expect to work part time but get full time holiday entitlement? It's your choice to spread your hours as you have, so your employers leave calculation seems perfectly reasonable to me.

I work in HR (as an assistant - no qualifications!) And I think we would calculate your holiday in hours instead

Did they make an exception for you in terms of wprking hours? Just thinking it may be a standard contract for a part.time staff member and they have not accounted for the fact you work different hours to other part time staff?

If you work 30 hrs a week your holiday is = (33/ft hours) x 30

That's normal IF your holiday systems are set up correctly

My PT staff get their Holiday allowance in hours, pro rata, in their contracts
I.e. FT workers (38hrs per week) get 25 days plus Bank holidays
PT workers have contracts stipulating hours plus their leave in hours

We'd need more info on how you'd BOok leave

Is it to do with how your hours are specified in your contract?
If it says kuasybpuntbof hours and doesn't specify the actual times, then it's probably right in that your holiday is calculated part time
But if it states 5 days at set hours of 6 hours a day then your holiday should be the same as someone who works full time
At least thats how it works at
my place

Could you ask them to reword your contract so that your holiday allowance is given in hours? It's sounds like they've just give you a standard part time hours allowance when obviously your doing it over 5 days rather than 3/4.

I work part time but spread out hours (childcare) they just calculate my holiday allowance in hours instead of days. The way you are describing seems a very strange way of doing it.

Everywhere I've worked part time employees have their annual leave calculated in hours to avoid situations like this.

Is that something you could clarify with them?

But to make it clearer OP, you're on a reduced working week

You don't get to work fewer hours per week but maintain a FT employee annual leave entitlement

I work just under 90% hours now over 5 days. I get the full holiday allowance of a full time employee because of this. Even though I work 2/3 of a day 2 days per week, I still have to take a full days holiday for that part time day.

Instead of working in holiday days, you need to work out your allowance in hours. So you get pro rata, but break it into hours and then you would use, for example 12 hours holiday to get two days off. I'd be surprised though if you could get full time holiday allowance for part-time.

Everyone in my firm has holiday calculated in hours, full or part-time.

I work for the NHS and part timers leave is calculated in hours so you take 6 hours rather than 1 day, it would work out the same. It's not fair otherwise.

I work 6 hours per day over 5 days. My holiday allowance is 28 days, same as full-time employees. It's the only thing that makes sense, otherwise they are short-changing you.

Normal it would be done in hours which works out the same

I work part-time. I do 3 days per week and get 12 days leave. Full-timers get 20 days. I feel this is perfectly fair. If I want to take a week off, I only need to use 3 days leave. The full-timers have to take 5 days.

As above posters said your holiday entitlement should be in hours.
However, 6 hours over 5 days is 30hpw so you absolutely should not be getting the same entitlement as someone who works 37.5hpw.

I think standard would be as you work in hours to give you flexibility.

How many hours are fulltime though 35, 38 or 40

i am guessing that fulltime is a 40 hour contract as you are working 75% of a fulltime contract so 25 days holiday. But that does not allow for the fact you work it over five days.

You should be getting 198 hours holiday which is the 75% equilvalent of 33 8 hour days

I would expect my holiday to be calculated in hours. Some people don't understand that you would be paid for 6 hours on your leave days do they ? And come on here all gung ho accusing you of being demanding

In my company, part timers and anyone who does anything other than 7 hour days gets their holiday allowance in hours. There's also complicated calculations about bank holidays but not sure that would affect you if you work five days.

I work compressed hours so full time in four days. I get 26 days holiday but that's based on a 7 hour day so fewer of my days because I work 9 hour days. But if I take a week off it's exactly the same number of hours.

Of course you get pro-Rata holiday, you're not working Full time hours. The number of days worked is irrelevant. I would seek clarification on whether when they refer to a day, are they talking about a normal length day or your shortened days.

If full time staff get 33 full days then you should get 33 of your shorter days.
I think the holiday calculation has been run assuming you work part time but full days.

Agree with the above because actually 25 days of 8 hours is the equilvalent of 200 hours which is what you would need in effect to take the 198 hours of 33 days (if that makes sense)

Another vote for pro rata annual leave allowance, calculated in hours. You're not entitled to the same allowance as a full time employee.

Unfortunately it's not as simple as you're making out - otherwise everyone could milk the system to their benefit I.e work compressed hours, and only have to use 4 days holiday per week rather than 5.

If the working day is 7 hours and you only work 6, then took a week off - why would you be entitled to 5 free hours per week?