(A pdf version of this policy is available for download here)
Introduction
St Stephen in Brannel Parish Council is committed to helping its employees to achieve a good work-life balance. This policy aims to ensure employees take regular breaks from work in the form of paid annual leave (i.e. holidays) to help manage that balance.
Employees are expected to take their full leave entitlement each year to ensure they have regular breaks from work. To help achieve this:
- Leave should be taken regularly throughout the year.
- Leave requests will be considered fairly, promptly and consistently.
- Every effort will be made to agree leave requests, subject to reasonable notice and operational need.
Leave Year
The annual leave year runs from 1st April and ends on 31st March.
Entitlement
Employees are informed of the number of days of annual leave entitlement via their individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment.
Employees are entitled to
- Up to 5 years’ continuous service: 23 days’ annual leave plus 2 extra statutory days plus public holidays. (pro rata for part time employees)
- After 5 years’ continuous service: 26 days’ annual leave plus 2 extra statutory days plus public holidays. (pro rata for part time employees)
The calculation of annual leave commences from the first day of employment as quoted in the individual Statement of Main Terms of Employment.
If employment commenced or terminates part way through the leave year, leave entitlement will be calculated on a pro rata basis.
Accrual of Annual Leave
In the first year of employment, annual leave accrues at the rate of 1/12 of the annual leave entitlement on the first day of each month of that year. If an employee’s portion of entitlement includes a fraction of a day, an employer is not obliged to round up to a whole number of days; however, days cannot be rounded down.
Termination of Employment
Upon termination of employment, an employee is entitled to payment in lieu of untaken annual leave entitlement which accrued during the final leave year. Unless employment has been terminated, no payment in lieu of annual leave is allowable. Any leave which has been taken but not accrued will normally be deducted from the final salary payment.
Carrying Forward Annual Leave
All leave should be taken within the current leave year. However, subject to prior approval from the Clerk, employees can carry the equivalent of 5 days over to the next leave year. For example, if the employee works three days a week, they can carry forward the equivalent of these three days in hours. This carry over time must be used by 31 March of the following leave year, or it will be lost.
Employees cannot carry over a negative leave balance to the following year. For example, you cannot borrow leave from the next leave year to make up for having taken too much leave in the current one.
In exceptional circumstances and with the agreement of the Human Resources Committee, employees may be able to carry forward more than the equivalent of 5 days, if:
- you have been on long term sick leave and could not take your annual leave.
- you have been on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave and were not able to take your leave before the end of the leave year.
- an exceptional business need precluded you from taking your leave that year.
Sickness During Leave
If you are sick while on annual leave, you can reclaim time lost due to sickness if you let the Clerk know on the first day of sickness. You must submit self-certification forms and/or medical fit notes to cover the duration of your sickness absence.
Booking Annual Leave
The law says an employee must give the employer notice equal to twice the amount of holiday required. This means if an employee wants a week off, he or she must give the employer notice two weeks in advance. The employer can say no but must give notice equivalent to the time off the employee was seeking, i.e. in this example, one week. In exceptional circumstances and at the Clerks discretion, this notice period may be waived.
Annual leave should be booked by submitting the relevant request through Breathe HR and submitting to the Clerk for approval. Leave should not be taken until approval has been confirmed.
Normally not more than 12 days leave may be taken consecutively. Leave of more than 12 consecutive days requires sanction from the Human Resources committee. A written request should be submitted to the Clerk who will seek approval.
Other
Additional annual leave with or without pay may be granted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Human Resources Committee. A written request should be submitted to the Clerk who will seek approval.
Any queries on the content of this policy should be directed to the Clerk in the first instance.
Adopted by Full Council at their meeting held on Wednesday 1st May 2024 under minute number FPC89/24. Due for review in 2027.