Annual Leave allocation

NorthernPostman · Post by **NorthernPostman** » 08 Oct 2018, 19:51

What is the Annual Leave allocation procedure in your DO?

In ours we get given a sheet of paper in August (2018), with all the weeks from April (2019) to March (2020), and we put down what we want in order of preference. This sheet needs to be handed in by the end of August, and we receive the sheet back a few months later with which leave we have been given.

I'm curious how it works in other offices because I think its crazy that we have to book our leave so far in advance, and all in one go. What if something comes up in January 2020 that you need a week off for, but you can't have it off because you booked your A/L for that period back in 2018? Also it has to be full weeks booked off from Monday, so if you just want a Friday to Monday get away, you need to book the 2 weeks either side.

dids620 · Post by **dids620** » 08 Oct 2018, 20:37

Still waiting to be given ours. Usually give them in by Sept, lucky to get them back by end of Jan.

JKSmudge · Post by **JKSmudge** » 08 Oct 2018, 20:57

yep same daft system in our place, book in September 2018 for dates right up until March 2020.

best advice I can give is that there's a good chance one or more bank Holidays will fall on a scheduled day off, so save it and use when you want.

luddite · Post by **luddite** » 09 Oct 2018, 08:08

We are also told only book half your leave in the summer and half in the winter. Anyone who hasn't got children, irrespective of where they are on the 'pecking order' list, are told not to book time in school holidays.

superports · Post by **superports** » 09 Oct 2018, 08:52

We were told our leave system (which majority of people were happy with) was changing to the National system. Now we face the prospect of people with families not being able to get time off during school holidays for perhaps 3 years.
Royal Mail need called out on their bullshit - claiming to be family friendly when they blatantly are not, bullying and harassment will go through the roof because the shorter working week is now a longer working week. Never in my life have I worked for an employer that treats their staff with such open contempt.

Raggedy Man · Post by **Raggedy Man** » 09 Oct 2018, 09:41

All that will happen is people will pull sickies to get the time they want.

Never worked in a place before where such a high percentage of workforce are off sick during the summer months.

Post by **hothothot** » 09 Oct 2018, 12:45

in my old office only 16 were allowed off in the summer period , but because you couldn't get the dates you wanted you had more like 30 off. (sickies).

Post by **97gaz** » 09 Oct 2018, 12:53

Chris413 · Post by **Chris413** » 09 Oct 2018, 14:52

97gaz wrote:I'm not sure what you all expect. There is a certain amount of duties to do and we need a certain amount of people to do it. That means that only a certain amount of people are allowed holidays per week. Every company in the world has to have limitations on the amount of staff they can have off at any one moment. There will be places where they have some leeway depending on the type of work they do but all have to keep an eye on staffing levels.

My office has a leave ceiling of usually 8-9 people. All weeks have to be filled and planned. I do the leave at my place and even I can't always get the leave I want. It is what it is.

It's a pain in the backside to do. You should try it. It's great fun trying to keep everyone happy with all the restrictions.

Still! There has to be some leeway when staff have young families and need dates to go on holidays within the school holiday period. No way am I getting fined or arrested for taking my kids on holiday in school time simply because the fecking company can't look after staff with families.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 09 Oct 2018, 15:19

I get told what im allowed off in april due to not being senior enough

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 09 Oct 2018, 15:21

leolion855 wrote:I get told what im allowed off in april due to not being senior enough

Seniority has no place in leave allocation.
The overriding principle is the leave allocation has to be fair for everyone.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 09 Oct 2018, 15:24

clashcityrocker wrote:
leolion855 wrote:I get told what im allowed off in april due to not being senior enough
Seniority has no place in leave allocation.
The overriding principle is the leave allocation has to be fair for everyone.

hmmm have i been told stories then?

zombiepostman · Post by **zombiepostman** » 09 Oct 2018, 16:54

In our office you have a rota system of picking leave, which ever list you are on, say you are first on the list you pick two weeks and write it in the week slots,then for your next pick you will be bottom of the list and can pick another two weeks when everybody has picked theirs,then your top of the list again and you then can pick your remainder of leave on the third pick,each time you have two days to pick. each year your name moves up one place on the list(so no seniority involved)works quite well in a small office you can also swap sometimes with other people on the other leave lists
hope that makes sense

Post by **97gaz** » 09 Oct 2018, 17:26

KernowDeth · Post by **KernowDeth** » 22 Oct 2022, 16:18

So can you change dates if you have already picked them , for example I have a week off in March and where I want to go costs £1000 for a week , but the week after is only £500 , could I change my week off.
I did ask but was told bluntly I couldn't change

ROYALMAILCHAT