Can employer force you to take holidays?

[Lemonpancakesultana]

We are working from home. We normally work out our holidays over the year to ensure there’s enough cover for the department - no problem at all.

Now, due to CV we are all being told we have to take 50% of our holidays before the end of June so time doesn’t build up and people are off more on the second half of the year. Naturally most people keep their holidays for their two week break or trips during the summer and late half term.

I have two holidays booked for much later in the year that may still go ahead but I won’t now have enough leave for.

I guess they can do this but it feels unfair. I now have to take 10 days in the next few weeks that I don’t want - just sitting around the house.

AIBU?

I'm worried about this happening to us. We have 20 days booked off at the end of the year for our wedding and honeymoon. My fiance and I work at the same place and there's a real chance this might happen

I am an employer. If I don't insist on people taking a proportion of their annual leave over the next few months, then some people will miss out on leave completely because otherwise there won't be enough time for everyone to fit theirs in before the end of the year. I can't let lots of people all take leave at the same time post-lockdown, because we always need a certain number of people working to run safely (healthcare). What I am supposed to do?

I get that taking leave during lockdown is shit - I'm having to do it myself. But it's better than not getting leave at all.

I can't remember what the latest guidance is, but at one stage they were saying that employees cannot be furloughed and take annual leave so in workplaces where furloughed workers return, they will have a whole heap of annual leave to take.

My employer is saying leave entitlement will be carried forward to next year for anyone who doesn't use it this year, a much fairer approach than forcing people to take time off during lockdown.

Although I’m sure I read (on mumsnet) that teachers can’t have theirs changed but I think that must be the only exemption,

As teachers and support staff have been working in the Easter holidays I don't see how that can be the case.

Sadly yes. Lots of things no one really wants to do are happening now. I'm having to take more leave now than I want to, it's going to create childcare problems later in the year. I also don't want to take a 20% paycut for the same hours. But needs must; I'm sure some employers are taking the piss, but the majority are just trying to keep their companies going through these times.

It totally depends on your contract and terms of employment. Just because the government says you can carry forward leave doesn't mean your company has to let you. In the current context if annual leave taken now means a break from home working with children to just having children to look after I would consider that a holiday. That might just be me as I'm struggling to balance the two. If it also means it's less likely the company will go bust I'm all for it

Same situation here. I work for a big company but am having to take half of my leave before the end of June. I had all of my holiday present planned and spread out over the year but, in all honesty, holidays are highly unlikely to be going ahead anyway. I I class myself as fortunate to be able to work from home at the moment as it alleviates a massive childcare headache for me and, to be honest, it's the least I can do in this situation to be fair to my employer.

Hi I temp she just presumed and was about pay me holidays. I said I want keep my days for maybe the autumn. Our july flight wont be flying. Boss bit controlling but my husband doesnt get it he calls the shots but husband said if u give enough notice of your days whats the issue!!!

My employer is saying leave entitlement will be carried forward to next year for anyone who doesn't use it this year, a much fairer approach than forcing people to take time off during lockdown.

That won't help organisations like ours, which can only safely have a certain number of staff off at one time. We can't magically cram 18 months worth of leave into 12.

@BarbaraofSeville unfortunately so far they are not listening. It is a blanket policy but the demands of business in different departments will be more on some departments now and others later when active business resumes. Some of April's was already carried over.

Didn't the government issue a directive about companies being able to carry over holiday?

I didn't pay much attention but I'm sure it was mentioned? Being able to carry over holiday for up to 2 years?

FWIW I had a week over Easter, a week in May and a week in June booked and ice cancelled them all.

Ice = I've

My employer is saying leave entitlement will be carried forward to next year for anyone who doesn't use it this year, a much fairer approach than forcing people to take time off during lockdown.

That only works if you can operate with a skeleton staff - i.e. have more people on leave than you usually would. Which is something to watch carefully because if the economy contracts (which looks likely) then lots of firms will be looking very closely at cash-flow and costs - and if it appears that they can run the business with fewer people then that's not good news for job security...

Crunchymum my understanding is that the leave carry forward was for key workers who were not able to take leave right now - i.e. because they are needed to keep production running to meet demand (e.g. NHS frontline staff, supermarket staff etc.). Rather than being intended for people who are able to take leave but don't want to.

It's not just for key workers, it's if your ability to take leave has been hindered by Covid. So it will mostly apply to key workers but also covers if you've had to cover for others (if they're furloughed for example) or if there would be staff shortages by everyone taking leave after the pandemic. So it can probably cover most people

Here's the details: www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights/calculate-leave-entitlement

I suspect most people will be required to still take leave throughout the year if they can though. Some employers might agree carry over but they can make you take it legally

My company said they’re following this government directive and we’re allowed to carry over 15 days holiday to next year (2021) and then 10 the year after (2022). (Instead of 5 that we’re normally allowed to rollover).

Fully agree about job security @Tappering, it's a really worrying time