AIBU to think Employers cannot allocate annual leave?

[Daisydrum]

DH’s Employer has allocated annual leave for the whole year. No one is happy about it, everyone has spoken up about it but apparently there is nothing they can do!
Is there anything we can do?

Unless it says anything different in his employment contract, then this is perfectly legal.
But if he is in a union, talk to them and try and get their support to challenge this.

Yes, they can. Sorry.

Yes they can.

I have heard of some allocation before. Like if the office is closed for Christmas then everyone has to use a week off annual leave over Christmas.

Do you mean they have just given you all your leave randomly?

Yes they can. Not much you can do.

Yep, I’m an employment solicitor. The employer can allocate all holiday.

Check his contract. The fire service do this so that every shift is covered. Holiday swaps are probably allowed. I think the postal service also tell staff what holidays they take.

Yes, they can. See also: teachers.

Yep. They can. Tell him to check his contract.

Legally they can so long as they give you proper notice (think it's two days for every day they all are? So for seven days they'd have to give a minimum of fourteen days notice). Everyone has the right to a minimum number of holiday but having the choice of when to use it is only a courtesy.

Yes they can- Teachers have all annual leave pre allocated. No negotiation whatsoever.

Yes its like this where I work. If we accrue TOIL we can take the odd ad-hoc day but actual annual leave is allocated to us.

Of course they can. My annual leave dates are allocated to me.

Factories often close down for preset periods and everyone gets their leave then. I assume that's written into the contracts though.

Wow I didn’t know companies did this (apart from schools!).

This isn't unusual. Millions of us teachers have had set holidays for the whole of our careers!

Yes they can. Although you would have a case to complain if it was somehow based on favouritism, or none ever during school holidays, for example.

Absolutely they can. My son's employer closes down for two weeks at Christmas and two weeks in Summer. He can choose the rest of his holiday days.

Although you would have a case to complain if it was somehow based on favouritism, or none ever during school holidays, for example.

Those examples would not be valid reasons for complaint, they're not unlawful. The only valid grounds for complaint would need to based around less favourable treatment due to a protected characteristic.

Welly n the NHS trust I worked for you stated your preferences but there was no guarantee you would get them.

I have worked in a place with allocated holidays. It is shit.

I get for jobs like teachers or to manage shift work but otherwise I'd be worried about an employer doing this because they can't be bothered to manage leave requests

Yes my DH works 3 week on 3 week off rota no changes or negotiations, the dates fall how they fall and that’s it.

Have you booked something already?

The Fire Service have set annual leave - there is an option to swap amongst each other, but tough if nobody wants to.