Using up AL on returning

[indigobarbie]

Please don't shoot me, I've had a rough time with severe SPD and therefore decided it would be best to take the 52 weeks mat leave off to allow me to recover more before returning.
My date for return is 10th Jan, and I have 38 days accrued (32 annual and 6 public). I have emailed my boss and asked if I can take a lump of them in Dec, and then return on the 10th Jan but use 16 days to have a thurs/fri off each week for 8 weeks - as a kind of phased return. My reason for this was really just to phase me in. I hope I will be feeling better with my SPD by then, but just to safeguard myself (instead of overdoing it and then having to go off). I haven't mentioned this to my boss as I don't want to appear as if I am not fit for work. I'm sure I am, I just wanted to ease myself back in.

My boss has told me he'd prefer if I use my leave up before my date of return, as it means I won't be carrying any of my dates into the next leave year and will help him with the allocation of work.

That was all he said, no come or go. I can change this but I did mention I would prefer to do some kind of phase in.
Can anyone advise? Maybe I am expecting too much, but I know of others who have phased themselves in. Perhaps it is the 8 weeks phase in he didn't like? Surely I don't have to take all the days before my actual return date?

In my job I can carry over 10 working days to the following leave year. Do you have this sort of policy where you work?

Can you speak to your HR dept about this?

I'm a little confused as you say your return to work date is 10 Jan but then you go on to say about taking annual Leave in Dec.

Does your Leave year run Jan - Dec?

Could you work 4 days/week for a while, using Leave for the other day? Maybe your boss would feel better about this, rather then only having you in for 3 days/week.

So many questions...........

There was someone on here recently that wanted similar & was turned down for similar reasons.they were advised that the employer could do it. Can you use KIT days to phase yourself in?

Check your contract and your employer's policy on annual leave.

Many have a policy that annual leave must be used in the year it is accrued and can't be carried over. If you have a policy like this, you will have to take your leave in the year it is accrued unless you have not had the opportunity to take it e.g. through sickness, maternity leave running accross the whole leave year etc.

When the time to go back to work comes, if you are not fit to return on your full time hours, ask for a referral to occupational health or get a fit note from your GP saying that you would benefit from a phased return to work.

Every employer seems to be different about this. When I returned after DS1 maternity leave I wanted to take 24 days holiday tagged on the end and was told that I couldn't take more than 15 because it was too much of a hit on the overhead for my group.

Maybe you can get somewhere by phoning him (or, better, going in) to discuss it?

HI everyone, thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
I have checked my contract and the maternity policy and there seems no mention of using up the days before the end of Jan.
Just to clarify, I was asking to take some of the leave in Dec this year, which would lead me up to returning in Jan 2011. I was put on early mat leave due to being off sick with the SPD. My leave year runs from Jan-Dec.
I have already had a chat to my boss face to face about this last week, he seemed determined to have me take up all my leave before my return date. I said to his face I'd be hoping for some kind of phase in. I'm afraid he is the kind of man who wants what he wants and doesn't really listen. I've emailed him yesterday (no reply yet) and said that I am sure I am also entitled to take my full 38 days starting from the 10th Jan, but this would obviously push my physical start date back to next March. Will see what he says, as it's so much better to have some kind of come and go with your work, rather than be pushed into something without any valid reasons? Will wait and see, many thanks to everyone

I don't know about carrying over but I worked 3 days a week when I went back by using my AL for the remainder of the year.

Just a thought about 'phasing in' - I did this and then couldn't face going back to full time.