summer holidays - time of without pay

[halia]

I am thinking of asking for time off without pay during the summer hols. I have one DS(5) and with Dh beign away during the week and my unsocial working hrs childcare is a challange, i have term time sorted but the summer will be a nightmare.

I only get 4 weeks plus allowance for bank holidays (we dont' actually get bank holidays off we just get days added onto our holiday entitlement). DH is taking 2 weeks hols, I am taking 1 week but that actually only covers a fortnight because we have a family holiday booked.

If I could take 2 weeks unpaid leave it woudl make life alot easier. I could even do it by taking 4 half weeks so there wasn't a big gap at work and I still covered the vital aspects of my job every week.

What do you think?

you could ask- but doesn't everyone want school hols off?
where i work, nobody is allowed more than 2 weeks off during July and August because it then makes it impossible for everyone to get a 2 week break during the 6 weeks school hols.

why is childcare more difficult during the summer holidays? if it is,is there any scope for you to request more normal hours during that period to accomodate the shildcare available-eg playscheme?

actually I'm lucky in one respect, a) I'm the only member of the senior team with kids and b) my project is a standalone project so me being off doesn't impact too much on other staff.

childcare is more difficult because of my hrs. playschemes are only 9-5 and my hrs are usually 9-6/7 or 11-9.

You are entitled to ask for unpaid time off parental leave. There's laws about it. If I was less lazy (and not on a super shit computer) I'd do some linking for you.

You can only ask!

I thought that was only until they turned 5?

I believe its 16 now.

This link is helpful