Taking annual leave - should be up to me when surely??

[mumandtwo]

I work as a support worker 18 hours a week. My client is going on holiday for a week and I've been told that I have to take a week if my holiday to cover that week. Does that seem right? Surely it's up to me when I take my holiday! I wanted to use most of my holiday to take in the summer hols and the week they're going is the week before they break up! There's nothing in my contract that covers this issue! Any advice would be much appreciated !!! X

I remember looking into this and from memory the employer can set the leave days if s/he chooses. In other words, the employee does not have the right to choose their leave days (although of course in practice many employers allow their employees to choose). Disclaimer - I am not an employment lawyer or anything like that so I may be completely wrong!

I think that employers do have the right to stipulate when leave should be taken, however this should
Be written into the contract.

Someone more knowledgable will be along to advise fully. I would always reccomend calling acas to advise you of your rights too.

By law, the employer can insist you take holidays on specified dates provided they give at notice of least twice the number of days as they want you to take as holidays. So if they want you to take a weeks' holiday, they have to give you two weeks notice.

Thank you !