Holidays after maternity

intothewest

Hi All - just wondering if any HR pro's can give me a bit of advice. I'm currently on maternity leave, and have taken some of the unpaid leave. Just this wk I've started my paid holidays. I'm due back to work the end of this mth. However, I am pregnant again and due early next yr. When I told my bosses that I was pregnant again back in the summer, they reminded me of the co policy to only be able to carry over 3 days to the following yr, and given the date I was planning to return, I would still have 2wks hols to take before end of Dec. At this time, I told them I was aware of that, and that I had some weddings to take days for, and like I did with last pregnancy, planned to take some 4 day weeks towards end of pregnancy when I would be heavily pregnant, and also in case we get another bout of icy weather.

I got a call today, to tell me that I would HAVE to take the hols in blocks of one week at a time, and would have to do so in Oct and Nov and would be unable to take any in Dec due to other people being off. Firstly, I have no plans for a long holiday between now and new baby and am against paying for childcare for a full wk when I would be at home myself. Secondly, I do not like been dictated to how I should use my own holidays when I have three months to use them. They should know my now I am not the type of person to turn around and tell them I am going to use all 2 wks in Dec and leave them in the lurch. I had no plans to take block of time off in Dec anyway, because as far as I am concerned, Dec is something of a shorter mth anyway. Nature of work I do is that it would be far more disruptive for one of my colleagues to cover my work for a wk at a time, than if I was just to take a day off a wk towards the end.

As far as I can see, there is no internal policy stating that they can stipulate how/when you take your own hols.

What I am wondering is, if anyone knows if they can do this?? I have told them that I will work out what days I need to take and when for weddings etc and I will get back to them with what my plans are for the balance, to which the block of one wk at a time was reiterated to me. Can anyone shed any light on this? Many thanks.

lonestargirl

While many employers are flexible about when people take their holidays it is actually at the employers discretion. From Citizensinformation

It is for your employer to decide when annual leave may be taken, but this is subject to a number of conditions. Your employer must take into account your family responsibilities, opportunities for rest and recreation that are available to you and to consult with you (or your union) at least one month before the leave is to be taken. In addition, annual leave should be taken within the appropriate leave year or with your consent, within 6 months of the relevant leave year. Further holding over (also known as carrying-over) of annual leave at your wish is a matter for agreement between you and your employer.

Mink

Go with the citizsens information thing but most companies have the general policy that out of the 20 days allocated, 5 must go to Xmas/New Yrs shutdown (if you have it), 10 days must be taken in blocks (ie a week off or 2 weeks off, not bit and piece) and the other remaining 5 days can be taken as a block or bit & piece.

But you have to get the holidays approved beforehand & it is at the companies discretion & down to what's best for the company.