If you're still working, are you taking any annual leave?

[Lookingforwardtomyeastereggs]

Quite a few people have said to me that they're not bothering to take annual leave at the moment, because they can't do anything anyway.

I'm off all over Easter, dh also has a week booked off, a lot of Dhs colleagues have been cancelling their annual leave.

Just interested if the general consensus is that it's pointless using holiday right now.

I've been wfh with two dc so I'm quite looking forward to us both having a week off even if just to potter around and have some adult company.

No we have even had our Easter bank holidays cancelled

I’m taking a few days to break up the weeks as it’s been hard focusing for 8 hrs at a laptop. My daughter needs some attention too as finding it all a bit difficult

We've been told to do whatever suits us re: annual leave. We can cancel it and roll it over to next year if we like, but also encouraged to take breaks to keep our health and sanity.

I've got quite a lot of leave so am keeping my holiday to look after DC and have fun at home instead of teaching them at home, DH is going to take just a couple of days and work rest whilst I take on more of the childcare. Hopefully later in year we can have some holiday. We've cancelled a UK holiday and 2 foreign holidays.

I started a new job on 2nd March and originally had a pre booked holiday planned for a week 12 April. I'd advised them of it ahead of time but it's not yet booked in the system. We were going to Italy so it's obviously cancelled. The company is not letting anyone change what was booked already for business continuity reasons. Fortunately mine isn't booked but I feel a bit sorry for all those who planned a week away and are now holidaying at home.

Nope

DH has to take 3 weeks before the end of April (end of leave year) as no carryover is now allowed - but despite having booked 1.5 weeks over Easter, has a number of conference calls in his diary on those days. But he may slow down slightly and take some family time.

I had nothing booked yet, but had planned to take some leave and probably still will for a rest and to do things around the house.

I cancelled my week off at Easter as we were supposed to be going away. Even if I can't go away in May, I'll take a week at May half term as the weather will be better, I'll need a break from wfh and there's at least a chance I might be able to meet up with friends or family by then.

My workplace have requested we avoid taking annual leave if at all possible for the next 12 weeks. DH would have had his cancelled, but he's being deployed next week, so they've let him keep his.

Urgh just heard the bank holidays are cancelled (for DH - don’t think this is national guidelines for everyone?!)

I've chosen to work through my upcoming holidays as I need the money more than the break.

My work are encouraging us to still take leave, partly so we have a break and partly so we don’t end up with everyone trying to take leave later in the year. I’ve not got anything booked until June though

Yes. I've taken an extra day at easter, and an extra couple of days over the bank holidays in May. Work has been so busy (I'm not complaining) and I need some time away from it.

I'm not taking full weeks off though.

We were supposed to be away for 2 weeks over Easter, but obviously that got cancelled, so I cancelled my leave. However, both DH and I got asked yesterday to take some leave over April/May - my holiday year runs to the end of August, and the company needs us in work rather than a glut of us taking leave as soon as we're back in the office. I've agreed to take a day a fortnight as leave throughout April/May, and a week in July (plus previously booked 2 weeks in August), which my boss is happy with. Am quite looking forward to a few 3 day weeks (I work 4 days)!

DH has been asked to have taken 60% of his annual allowance off by the end of September.

DH is working from home and on holiday next week. He tried to change it but wasn't allowed so we are going to use it to get some gardening done.

It feels pointless to be taking it but my work have been clear that we’re expected to take 2/3 of our entitlement by September for business continuity purposes. It’s annoying, but the policy makes sense.

Use it or lose it. You're not allowed to cancel any thing already booked

I've been furloughed but am taking a few days annual leave during it. On one hand it's annoying as the annual leave days won't be any different to furlough days since I'm at home but I work for a small employer, it's just not practical for the employer if the few staff they have end up having a lot of extra annual leave to use up within the next two years. I'd prefer to have a job at the end of this so it's fine from my perspective.

Our holiday year runs Jan-Dec and we've been told to take 50% by end June. I'm in middle management and it's really hard - no-one wants to use leave when there's nothing to do but the prospect of an entire team trying to take a full year's worth of leave in the latter part of the year is unthinkable. A better solution would be a carry forward spread over two years but I don't have the authority to do this. I had last week off and hated it - I'm really struggling with the isolation and found the week without working routines very difficult so the thought of doing more of this and trying to promote the idea to my team is horrible.

Interestingly, we've all now been given Easter weekend as an additional holiday (we're normally open for business so this closure is being given as free extra holiday this year). Everyone seems delighted by it and my guess is that this is a strategic move to show folk that time off can be fun therefore persuading us to take more.

I work for the NHS. My Trust is still encouraging us to take annual leave (that's the official line anyway, but there will be shifts to be filled and pressure to cover them for patient safety). DC's school isn't opening in the holidays, and DH remains adamant that he cannot work to any extent while looking after DC and will lose his job if I am not here (not true), so I will need to take next week off as planned if possible.

Yes but not through choice. We've been told we've got to take a minimum amount of time in the next month. I've split it so I don't have to do a full week until well into May.

Dh had leave booked as we were meant to be away over Easter. His company have asked that it's taken as intended. I think part of the reason for that is a lot of clients have delayed work "temporarily" and they want to balance things out if things get to back "normal". Instead of having lots of work needing doing but all the staff having a full years worth of leave to cram in.

He's still taking the 6 days off but instead of taking as a block, is working 4 day weeks at the moment.

My work (keyworker but not medical) are not letting staff cancel their booked holiday! So people are having to plan gardening/decorating just to use the time productively as there is obviously no leisure activity outside the home, it's really unfair I think.

We've actually been given two extra days off over Easter as additional leave, which is very kind of them, but means 6 days on my own doing not much!

it's really unfair I think

But understandable. What do you think would happen if everyone in the company tried to take their full leave entitlement in the second half of the year?

www.acas.org.uk/holiday-sickness-leave