Been refused any annual leave this year.

[HolidayNotAvailable]

§Name changed as I don’t want my name to be associated as I know some people who work for the same company are on here.

I am entitled to 25 days annual leave, which increases every year after two years.

If you don’t take all your annual leave you can carry over 35 hours but if you don’t take the rest then you lose it.

Things are made more complicated by the fact that people are allowed to buy additional annual leave, and this means that a lot of people have up to 35 days.

The upshot of this is that there isn’t enough quota in the calendar to allow all annual leave requests.

Our annual leave system is digital, we book annual leave and receive a message to say it is either declined or accepted.

And the annual leave is based on how many people are available in the department not the team.

Most people end up booking all their annual leave at the beginning of the year, including their extra two weeks which most people have bought.

Which means that if you haven’t booked any annual leave for the next year by the end of December when the annual leave is released on to the system you pretty much don’t stand a chance.

I didn’t book as soon as the leave was released not least because I didn’t have any specific plans, but even when I started to try a couple of days in all my requests were declined.

To date I have attempted to book several weeks in every month of the year, and apart from one week in December, and one day which I know I will get over Christmas because those are booked separately, every one of my requests has been declined.

So this means that by the end of the year I am going to have about four weeks annual leave left, and I can only carry over one week.
I am certain that this is made worse by the fact that people are able to buy extra leave and that realistically we don’t have enough quota in the department to accommodate existing annual leave as wel as essentially several months worth when you take into account all that has been bought.

Some people have 6/7 weeks booked in, and I can’t even get one.

I’m sure there’s no way I can get the time off, so I’ve resigned myself to not taking any annual leave this year apart from that one week in December.

But would it be reasonable to approach my employer and request that, given I’ve been declined any leave, they buy it back off me? I don’t know what else to do.

Seeing as you have name changed, I wonder if you would be willing to name the bank, OP? I'm sure lots of us wouldn't want to give our custom to a company who would deny their staff their statutory allowance of annual leave.

If the requests you’re putting through aren’t being accepted you need to contact the appropriate team and ask them to let you know what two full weeks you can take, and where you can take the rest of it. If they say you can’t take your leave, forward it to HR. If HR aren’t helpful, ring your union or acas. You do need to be allowed to take the statutory leave allowance but with poor management you might have to stand up for yourself

Definitely raise it, they need to look at the policies and procedures. In my organisation you need authorisation from your manager to purchase extra leave to make sure the service need is still met and everyone else is able to take their leave. Leave is also based on who is in my team, not the whole department which makes it much easier coordinating leave.
HR/Management should already be aware its an issue but they may not be so it's certainly worth you raising it.

I always tell people on my team that taking annual leave is a requirement, not a mere entitlement. Taking it is non-negotiable to ensure we are meeting our duty of care and are not in breach of the law.

Your employer's annual leave procedure sounds ridiculous and insane, you should be demanding not asking to take your leave. Or better still, your manager should be doing it for you.

As pos said you have to have a statutory amount of paid time off.

This is one of those machine v human decisions and your line manager and HR need to sort this out

This is a ridiculous system. Definitely query it, you’re being more patient and flexible than most people, you should have some element of choice not just whatever is left over. People should be able to take the minimum leave before the people who buy extra can use that.

I'm amazed that any of the staff would tolerate this.

I hope you get somewhere with this op, you've got some good advice.

But also, how employable are you..? Do you really want to go through this every year...?

@HolidayNotAvailable You need to be making much more of a fuss about this, your employer is under a legal obligation to make sure you are able to take the minimum statutory annual leave, it is their problem and you absolutely should not accept or think of it as a you problem.

Your manager is being a wimp if they are not escalating this - you need to make a lot more noise about it and are early enough on in the year for it to make a difference, if you stay quiet and don’t push is now and more time passes you will be more at fault for not having done so

They cannot ignore the law. Ask for a meeting with HR and point out that you are being prevented from taking your legally entitled leave and they need to rectify it.

Some companies pressure people to work all the time.
When you then ask to take time off, the time that you are contractually and LEGALLY entitled to, they claim should have taken it all ready.

Pick the days you want to take off.
TELL the manager you are going to take this time off.
If they have a problem with this, you will make this a legal matter.

It's that simple.

Take it higher up. Your manager is a sh*t manager if all she can do is wring her hands! I'm embarrassed for her.

It's not complicated so don't be tricked by poor internal process and systems into thinking it is. By law, assuming you work a full time week, you must take 20 days annual leave.

You should speak with HR and failing that a union or ACAS.

Yep what she said ☝

The upshot of this is that there isn’t enough quota in the calendar to allow all annual leave requests

That is not your problem. That is THEIR problem that they think they can get away with not addressing. At best, they are in breach of contracts and you were employed under false pretences that you would be able to use a certain amount of leave each year. At worst, what they're doing is illegal.

It aounds like you work at the same place as me, One year I had to take my leave in 2 or 3 day bits. I couldn't get a week off at all. I've forgotten to book for next year, we were supposed to book before easter. I'll probably have to retire to get time off.

I'm sure they will hve to let you take your leave. I'd put it in the hands of HR.

It’s like this where my other half works too. It’s shit. To top it off one of the managers in charge of authorising requested holiday for a large team gets off on saying no, it’s a real power trip for her. Unsurprisingly, he’s looking for another job.

You need to approach this from a legal perspective. You company is breaking the law if they do not let you take annual leave. Get advice from either Acas, or Citizens Advice then ask your manager and/or HR for a meeting to discuss how they will resolve then.

Telling you their hands are tied is NOT an option.

I’ve worked for British and US banks and 2 weeks consecutive holiday had to be taken once a year as fraud prevention. Big red flag if someone not taking their holiday entitlement. Can’t keep fraud covered up unless stay there all the time.

banks insurance against this would be void

Oh and join a Union. Even if your workplace does not have a recognised Union you can still join one (such as GMB) and they can help you with this.

As everyone else has pointed out, it's a legal entitlement you take a minimum amount of annual leave, not just to have it, you need to take it. It's bad enough some employers can decide when you take every day of your leave but I would take that than no holidays! Please let us know how you get on, you really do need to take this further!

I hope you can resolve this within the company you work for, it is the law and should be upheld.

If you get nowhere I suggest getting someone who is not known to your work colleagues and whose words would not identify you, to come on here and name the bank concerned.

Wittybird, you are entitled to 2 weeks in Ireland when you have been with the company 8 months. You don't have to take 2 weeks but it should be offered.

Raise it as a formal grievance, there will be a policy and timescales they will have to meet.

Sounds very unfair but you absolutely need to be able to book your time off.

One thing that pissed me off are the same colleagues get the time between Xmas and NY off and they have family living a few miles away and finish shifts 1-2pm.

Yet, apart from M&D all of my other family which I have contact live 50+ miles away and finish at 6-7pm. We can book a certain date once we had it this year. So for example if you want 28th Dec off, you can request it from Dec 29th on an app.

i don’t have that issue anymore as moved departments and do earlier shifts.

The former have the afternoon and evening to see their families. I didn’t.

I limit booking annual leave around school holidays. Book a few days in mid Aug as it’s mum’s birthday. Most colleagues with DC and DGC of school age usually book off July.