Is negotiating annual leave a thing?

[PandaChopChop]

I'm in the market for a new job. I've worked for current organisation for 8 years so I recieve 33 days leave, with bank holidays on top. I can buy an extra 5 if I wish.
This is obviously quite generous and I always use it without fail due to miniPandas childcare. Etc.
Looking at lots of jobs and the salaries are higher (yay!) but leave allowance much lower (nay).

Have you ever negotiated leave allowance? I'd be happy taking a slightly lower salary if I was able to have 30 days leave, instead of 26 for example. Just wondered if this is a thing!

Everything is a negotiation.

Dpends on the employer. Where I work you wouldn't stand a chance of negotiating - they are nationally agreed terms.

Private sector yes, public sector no.

It will depend - no leeway where I work, but our terms are quite generous by UK standards (30 days plus bank hols and option to buy a week.

Have you looked at other flexible options such as part-time or term time working that might give you more time off.

It certainly depends on the employer. Public sector no, private sector you can try and negotiate. It's still company dependent though. At my company they'd say no, everyone coming in at each level has set annual leave (anything director level and above is 35 days for example, and below director level is 27 days or whatever). And then for each 3 years you work here you gain an extra day.

My brother did but he’s in Canada. He gets a lot more than his colleagues to enable him to visit uk family each year. He’s pretty senior though.

I would love to go part time but it's sadly not an option. I need the money. I'm a single parent private renting so need the salary to get through reference checks.

Finding this really hard. Have worked for the organisation for a long time and the benefits are great, but the money is not competitive. Can't move to a cheaper area as DC need relationship with their father and all my family are here.

Have you applied for these jobs or are you holding back because of the annual leave?

If private sector, i'd not let it put me off applying, and if you get offered the job you can then ask. It very much depends on the company, department and even hiring manager as to what answer you'll get so a lot of variables.

My company would definitely consider it.

I haven't applied but there are two that I've got my eye on. I'm not really in a good place to be applying for new jobs but I am SO fed up with my current employer for a variety of reasons and I really need to take control. You're right. Nothing ventured and nothing gained I suppose!

Definitely negotiable in the private sector. DH was offered a job with a good wage (more than he was on previously) but less holidays.
He asked for 5 more than they originally offered, they countered and offered 3. Doesn't sound a lot but it all helps!

Instead of negotiating lower salary and more annual leave consider asking for the higher salary but an option to take x days as unpaid leave?

You could use unpaid parental leave after you’ve been there for a year so if you time it right, you might be able to juggle it (e.g. if you start new job in the last few months of their holiday year). The only downside is parental leave has to be taken in 1-week blocks so it doesn’t work if you just want a day off here and there.

I’ve just done this- negotiated as much as they could go in terms of salary, so asked for additional holiday allowance instead, and managed to get 7 additional days- so proud of myself for hustling, also a single parent and there’s no way I’m surviving life on 23 days AL 😂

I work in HR for a large finance company. Annual leave is linked to job grade and we wouldn’t negotiate but you get more with each year of service and can buy a week. We also ring fence unpaid leave in the first year of contract before the legal requirement one kicks in.