Am I entitled to two weeks (a fortnight ) off in the summer?

[mooseloose]

I can't get two weeks together, only two single weeks, one at the start, the other at the end of the school hols, and I want to book a two week family overseas hol. This is due to how the team want hols, everyone has put their dates in, and mine is the problem week! So I am really cross and upset. I think everyone else, bar one or two got their dates. Any suggestions where I can take this please ? Had a quick search online but not really found anything.

I only work 2.5 days too !

You don't have a right to any particular weeks, just the statutory across the year.

When you take your leave is at the employer's discretion, I'm afraid.
Perhaps next year you could book all your leave as soon as the holiday year starts?

You don't have the right to 2 weeks, if your colleagues got in there first with their requests and its just the way it works out sometimes

It may be worth asking around to see if anyone could swop a week but other than that, not much you can do

This is why I have my holiday request form sitting on my Manager's desk on 3rd January (the earliest she'll open the book for that year).

Anyone looking to book some leave now is pretty much stuck with November .

Depending on where you work, your contract might say that you have to
a) have two consecutive weeks off
b) if you have children of schoolgoing age, you are entitled to have those two weeks during the school holidays

The first applies in most financial institutions - if you're on the take/embezzling, it's very hard to cover it up if you're not there for 2 weeks in a row!

The second depends on how family friendly the company is .

If both of these apply, if I were you I'd talk nicely to your manager about how they can accommodate you.

I have the same as you. I thought I'd done quite well !. My work can only accomadate 2 (out of a team of 10) off at the same time. We all have dcs so getting 2/6 weeks off is quite good. If you only work 2.5 days then you should be able to get the best part of 2 weeks off anyway.

You have to be really quick in my department to get your weeks in...I am usually waiting outside my Manager's office at 8.55am every April 5th..with a large double whip Latte for her

Unless two consecutive weeks is written in to your contract, then no you do not have a right to it.

First come first served is a common system for booking time off.

are you able to swap the days you work around to maximise your normal days off? eg work mon tues weds then have your week off then work weds thurs fri the week after? unsure how flexible the role you do is.

There's nothing you can do about it now, if other people have booked the time off.
I always try and be as accommodating as possible when it comes to people with school age DCs who want holidays in the summer but it has to work on a "first person to put their holiday form in" basis.

Sometimes people will swap weeks if they can, but again, not always possible. Everyone wants time off in the summer and we can only have 3 people on holiday at a time so April 6th I have people queuing up to put their holiday form in.

I also put my summer holiday request in on April 6th so I know I've got a good chance of getting the 10 days that I want.

Hmmm thank you all. This is for next year! Everyone has put them in together. Some choose good, some bad, so obviously the lucky people are smug and won't consider switching to help! Don't know if my stress levels could take one week off instead of two. I wanted to have a Fortnight abroad (we never have done!) instead of camping. I am considering taking them out of school over it, and blaming work that's cant get holiday, which is true!!

Crikey that's for next year already, that is bad.
Could you see if you could get 2 weeks off at Easter instead?

I'm the first one who has put in holidays for next year, but I'm lucky because it's mostly contractors who have to work round us permies, and there are very few people in our office with school age children. Hope you get it sorted as that is a bit rubbish.

Sorry , no unless you have a contractual entitlement then it is up to the manager's discretion , bearing in mind cover and business requirements. All you can do is appeal to their better nature and ask for a swap. dh is obliged to take 2 consecutive weeks for audit purposes, however fitting that in is often very difficult.

Could you spread yours over 3 weeks ie take a few days in week 1 , whole week 2 then 1/2 days week 3 instead of missing 2 whole weeks. If you only work part of the week could you do your 2.5 days Mon - Wed and go from Thursday to Sunday (ie. a 10 day break)or do the opposite and work the latter part of week (Leave Saturday , return Tuesday, work Wed-Fri)