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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about your annual leave

169 replies

Stixy · 27/04/2023 19:31

Last week I turned down a new job as the holiday entitlement was 20 days, save 4 for Christmas. I felt this was a but low as I currently get 25 and my previous role was 25 too.

AIBU is 20 average and I've just been lucky? It was the saving for Christmas too that really swung it for me

OP posts:
Truestorypeeps · 27/04/2023 20:33

It's not just about the headline leave figure though... I'd rather 25 days AL and 32 hours a week working (that's what I do), rather than 30/35 days leave and 40 hours + every week.

Compared to someone working a 40 hr week, I'm working approx. 44 days a year less!

Yuja · 27/04/2023 20:33

28 including the bank holidays. But we also get paid for the office shut down between Xmas eve and New year. I work for a crappy small business though and everything is statutory minimum. DH works for a multinational firm and has much more generous leave

dizzygirl1 · 27/04/2023 20:34

31 and BHs plus Flexi. I tend to book the whole of Christmas off, generally 1 to 2 weeks - not forced, I can work if I want to but its nice to have a break.
20+ BHs no way is that enough

AffIt · 27/04/2023 20:36

Director level in a global firm - I get 26 + standard UK bank holidays + 2 Jan (I'm Scottish and negotiated this deliberately!).

There's a 'gentleman's agreement' that everything closes down between Xmas and NY. We can carry five over, but no option to buy or sell.

I'm liking the sound of 30...

Thighdentitycrisis · 27/04/2023 20:37

Starts on 31 plus BHols. Goes up after 5 years. Some has to be taken around Christmas I think

GCWorkNightmare · 27/04/2023 20:37

Wait till the Tories reduce the 28 day statutory minimum!

Barrysmintybiscuits · 27/04/2023 20:38

I get 27 days + BH. We close over Christmas and I think it's only 2 that they ask us to save.

I used to get 20 + BH but they didn't make us save any for Christmas shutdown so it wasn't so bad.

ActDottie · 27/04/2023 20:38

I’d turn it down too, I’d only ever take a job that is minimum 25 days plus bank holidays.

currently 28 days plus bank holidays but have option to buy 5 more too.

sleepwhenyouaredead · 27/04/2023 20:39

34 plus BHs - NHS and been there a long time

Grumpy34 · 27/04/2023 20:39

27 days + bank holidays. I wouldn't take 20 + bank holidays, that's stingy

Serenity45 · 27/04/2023 20:40

Agree it's low. I work for a charity and get 31 days plus bank holidays plus Christmas Eve off. I have been there 7 years and it was 26 days to start with, adding an extra day each year entitlement for my first 5 years.

Whichnumbers · 27/04/2023 20:41

I get 28 days annual leave, +8/9 days bank holiday and an extra day at xmas given to us. We don't shut at Christmas bar the bank holiday and extra day given to us, so don't need to save any days.

LakieLady · 27/04/2023 20:42

Starting leave where I work is 25 days, plus bank holidays. It goes up to 30 after 5 years and 33 or 35 after 10 years.

I only work 17 hours pw, Tues-Thurs, and as most bank hols are Mondays I get extra added on in lieu of the time I would have got off on BH Mondays (and Good Friday).

It adds up to a monstrous amount of leave and I have trouble taking it all.

Whichnumbers · 27/04/2023 20:42

OP did you say anything about the annual leave allowance and was it in the original job advert?

ISeeTheLight · 27/04/2023 20:43

I get unlimited holidays plus bank holidays. There are rules of course - no more than 3 weeks at a time (otherwise what comes after 3 weeks within the same stretch is unpaid). No holidays during black Friday week. Over Christmas/NY we have a cover plan (people can request certain days and last year we managed to give everyone the days off they requested). And most importantly- there has to be cover available for your accounts (agency). People have to take 25 days as a MINIMUM.

Last year I took about 34 days. I love it, makes life so much easier when you don't have to hoard holidays for when you're moving house, have appointments, schools are striking and whatnot.

ISeeTheLight · 27/04/2023 20:44

I've also turned a job down before due to low holidays allowance. 20 days is bare minimum and very stingy.

Phos · 27/04/2023 20:45

Standard is 28 plus bank hols and we can "buy" 5 more per year as part of our flexible benefits package.

Runnerduck34 · 27/04/2023 20:49

I would thunk twice about accepting a job with only mininum statutory annual leave allowance too, the salary and or the job would have to be pretty amazing.
I get 25 days plus BH (local authority) new starters get 22 then it increases every year to a maximun of 25 days.

Ylvamoon · 27/04/2023 20:52

I get 27 days plus BH.

I've been in jobs with 20 days + BH, so it's durable even with young DC ... but having 25 days + is just soo much better!
Definitely wouldn't go back to 20 days!

London1305f · 27/04/2023 20:53

25 days plus bank holidays. I also buy an additional 10 days holiday, as it really helps with school holidays.

Lovelydovey · 27/04/2023 20:53

26 days plus bank holidays. Plus I can buy another 13 days. And extra pay plus TOIL for working weekends.

escapingthecity · 27/04/2023 20:54

That would be a no from me, esp with trying to cover school holidays. I get 25 plus the 8 bank holidays.

Runnerduck34 · 27/04/2023 20:54

Just read other responses, my employer( local council) always bang on about our generous leave entitlement- seems ( at 25 days after 3 years service plus BH) its not so generous after all !! Would love to know where pp with very generous leave allowances work.

Littlewhitecat · 27/04/2023 20:55

33 + bank holidays (37 hour week with flexi time). We have to allocate 3 of the 33 to Xmas week. 20 is way too low unless the pay is astonishingly good.

Peccary · 27/04/2023 20:55

I'm on 29+8 but new starters get 26+8. I'd hate to have fewer.

Most I've ever had was 32 +8 + unofficial Christmas shutdown. That was a university