Have to work during my agreed AL

[Sillyquestion123]

I’ll start by saying I really like my workplace and we have a very generous AL which includes being off for two weeks in December.

When they announced this, HR requested that we should reschedule our AL if we had already requested it for those two weeks , so I did.

My workload varies massively as I have a portfolio of clients and they can come up with requests at any given time (so sometimes it’s hard to plan).

So I ended up working 3 previous days that I was supposed to be off, and I’ll definitely be working this coming two too.

so AIBU to feel annoyed? I’m still sort of old school in the sense that I can I’ll do things and I WFH, so the lines are even blurrier.

They’ve refused to movie which is part of the issue.

If you haven't used your annual leave you can carry up to 5 days over. However most employers will want you to take it in the year it is supposed to be taken. What they don't want is carry over on carry over so that an employee then takes months off in order to take their leave. But if for example something happens and you are unable to take it all, legally you can carry over up to 5 days and no more. That doesn't mean employers can't impose you having to take it all in the year you are supposed to.

So they’re giving you two weeks’ paid leave, in addition to your annual entitlement?

But you’re miffed because you might have to work some of it - is that right?

Then I would ask to redirect your emails to another person in the team, as you're technically on AL and won't be available. You cannot be working during your AL. Talk with HR about it.

We’re basically “on call” but also basically cannot be completely off apart from the bank holidays

It’s tricky. I remember feeling miffed when other people in my organisation enjoyed paid snow days when I had to get myself in to resolve problems, so I do get how you feel.

Where I worked, we had two weeks shutdown over Christmas but we had to assign our AL to cover it (contractual).

What would have gone differently if you'd been on annual leave rather than 'closed'?

If you're going to lose the leave anyway I'd rebook the days you definitely don't want to be working as leave and point out you had to work it last time. What would have happened if you'd been on holiday and not able to work at all?

That means in reality you do not get the legal minimum of four weeks holiday plus bank holidays.

I think we do/could. The smart thing is to use AL any other month but December