Accruing holiday on furlough

[Nquartz]

I've been told today that I'm going to be on furlough from Monday, and that the holiday I carried over from the last holiday year (new year starts 1st April) and holiday accrued whilst on furlough (average 2 days per month) is assumed to be used during furlough.

Apparently the company is following the government guidelines but I can't find anything along those lines.

Can I challenge this, or are they allowed to dictate how I take my holiday? I have a school age DD so use my holiday during school holidays and therefore it feels like a waste to be using it when we're all off anyway.

How can you take annual leave if you're not working?
My understanding is that you accrue leave but because you aren't working to be able to take it, there is a 2 year "rollover" for any carry over leave. Have a read of Martin Lewis website, he's usually the voice of reason.
www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/04/employed-help-coronavirus-furlough/

Our company has asked us to take ‘AL’ while on furlough, and it is paid at our ‘full’ salary rate rather than the furlough salary rate.

I think the idea behind it is that it is to avoid too many people taking AL when we all return.

My DH is WFH and he has also been asked to take some of his AL during this time.

Whether this is ‘Legal’ or not I don’t know.

DHs company is doing this too. It means that the lowest paid get more in their pay cheque than they would on furlough. Cash first leisure later.

Many of the odd ideas his employer has come from that frame. They are a certified caring, considerate employer, which often drives DH to despair but this time he can see it makes quite a difference for some, especially as they have already been told they'll have a closure later, for a deep clean, everyone on full pay. There's a tax implication in there somewhere.

We’ve been told we accrue it then either take it during furlough (paid at full) or at the end of furlough before we return to work. The latter is preferred as it’s more straightforward for payroll.
Unless there is something to the contrary in your contract then they can say when your annual leave should be taken, certainly to help ensure you’re taking it proportionally during the year.

Our HR advisors have said that our staff (who are furloughed) will still accrue holiday during that time and have to be allowed to use it as per normal company rules. However the Govt has also said we MUST allow it to be spread over next two years which is against our company rules! We are only small so no idea how it will affect us. We may have to say no holidays of over 3 weeks or something.

We’ve been ‘assumed to have taken’ all holiday that is accrued during furlough. Which seems fair.

I work in HR in HE, and told all staff that all annual leave is to be taken in the period, none can roll over, this includes furloughed staff. This is to be fair to all staff, there is the same expectancy across the uni (it would not be fair for staff to be furloughed being paid 100% income and accrue leave whilst other staff who are working can't), this also saves money for anyone wishing to leave the university and stops us paying out annual leave in final salary, and the two year role over is applicable to key workers as many are unable to take AL, not to 'ordinary' workers. And yes its legal, I hope so anyone, as we run all be employment solicitors prior.

You can't accrue holiday whilst furloughed

Not on furlough but we have been told to take holidays when working from home and that it’s not acceptable to cancel pre booked holidays to store them up. Companies clearly don’t want people taking all their holidays in The second half of the year. I’m taking a day a week currently for last 5 weeks making it a 4 day week. Gives me some mental rest from
It.

@miccymaccy that is incorrect

You accrue holiday but you can be asked to take it.

To be clear, allowing the holiday roll over is not a blanket rule, it’s only if you can’t take the holiday due to covid19.

Please be very wary of any advice of this nature from Martin Lewis, he has been given incorrect advice regarding furlough and previous employers.

It’s is my understanding that on furlough you can continue to receive all benefits and yes that includes accruing holiday.

You can be asked to take holiday buts it’s at full rate

I think people on Furlough need to be reasonable about holidays. I work in care and lots of my colleagues are at home for health reasons so the rest of us are working almost every day (when most of our contracts are twenty odd hours). It will be pretty galling if we have to carry on working lots of hours when our colleagues come back to cover all their accrued holiday.

I've been on furlough for 6 weeks. I had annual leave booked for the Easter holidays. I'll probably just forget it to be honest, I don't think now is a good time to be quibbling about holidays. If I've got a job to go back to at the end of this I'll be happy!