Policy Statement and Standards for Annual Leave...agreement of their line manager carry forward up to 5 days. (or equivalent pro rata for part time employees) to the following year

Policy Statement and Standards for Annual Leave

V3.1

Name of responsible Department Human Resources

Date ratified

Date Ratified by JCC

Document Manager (job title) Human Resources

Date issued September 2016

Review date September 2019

Electronic location H:/Policies and Procedures/Human Resource Standards

Related Procedural Documents

The Action Group

H:\Policies and Procedures\Human Resource Standards\Annual Leave

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Version Control

Amendments Record

Date Section Comments Approved by

Feb 14 Amendment due to T&C changes

SMHR

Feb 14 7 Added Gift Leave data SMHR

Aug 16 3 Requesting Annual Leave

JCC

Sep 16 11 Forced Leave JCC

Oct 16 Compressed working week and annual leave.

JCC

Dec 16 Minor corrections SMHR

March 17

13 Overtime and sleepovers

SMHR

The Action Group


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Contents

Annual Leave ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Policy Statement ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

Section 1 - Entitlement ................................................................................................................................................. 5

Section 2 - Part-Time Employees .................................................................................................................................. 5

Section 3 - Requesting Annual Leave ............................................................................................................................ 6

Section 4 - Carrying Forward Annual Leave .................................................................................................................. 7

Section 5 - Extended Leave Requests ........................................................................................................................... 7

Section 6 - Unpaid Leave Requests ............................................................................................................................... 7

Section 7 – Compressed Working Week and Annual Leave ......................................................................................... 8

Section 8 - Annual Leave and Maternity Provision ....................................................................................................... 8

Section 9 - Gift Leave .................................................................................................................................................... 8

Section 10 - Annual Leave and The Disciplinary Standards .......................................................................................... 9

Section 11 - Annual Leave and Sickness Absence ......................................................................................................... 9

Section 12 - Forced Leave ........................................................................................................................................... 10

Section 13 - Overtime and Sleepovers

Section 14 - Leaving The Action Group’s employment ............................................................................................... 10

Section 15 - Annual Leave Ready Reckoner ................................................................................................................ 12

Appendix 1 Extended Leave Request............................................................................................................................ 13

Appendix 2 Gift Leave Request Form ........................................................................................................................... 15

The Action Group


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Annual Leave

Policy Statement and Standards for Annual Leave

Policy Statement

The Action Group is committed to providing the best possible services through a competent workforce. The Action Group needs to provide to all employees; procedures that give a clear and transparent framework to deal with any difficulties which may arise as part of their working relationship.

This policy is only applicable to permanent and temporary staff. It is not applicable to Casual workers.

The Standards for Annual Leave cover key areas, which are non-negotiable. These standards ensure that everyone is treated the same way in similar circumstances.

Annual leave is given so that employees can take suitable breaks from their work. As such, members of staff should not work additional shifts or sleepovers during it.

Annual leave is paid at the contracted rate of pay, and for employees with two or more rates a calculated rate based on the number of contracted hours at the various rates over the contracted week I.E. a prorata calculation.

Annual leave within the team must be managed to ensure the best interests of the service users, individual and colleagues are addressed.

Each employee must make themselves familiar with the process for requesting and booking their annual leave within their team.

Annual leave must be booked, agreed and authorised by your line manager in advance.

The start of the annual leave year will be the start date of the employment and for the employee with over one year’s service, the anniversary of the start date with The Action Group.

Managers are responsible for full implementation and monitoring of these standards in their respective areas.

The Action Group


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Section 1 - Entitlement

Standard 1

Annual leave is calculated using an employee’s length of service with The Action Group.

Standard 2

The Action Group’s annual leave entitlement includes all statutory entitlements and public and bank holidays:

New Year’s Day, 2nd January, Good Friday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, Summer bank holiday, St Andrew’s Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day

Standard 3

Incremental period Entitlement

0-2 29 days

2-3 31 days

3-6 34 days

6-8 38 days

8+ 43 days

Section 2 - Part-Time Employees

Standard 4

Part-time employees have a pro-rata entitlement to annual leave, based on their contracted weekly hours.

Standard 5

Where a full time employee works irregular hours over a week or where hours have been compressed, then the actual number of hours of holiday will be deducted from their annual leave entitlement and also recorded into Cascade.

The Action Group


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In both cases the remaining contractual hours will be worked within the week.

Standard 6

Where the employee works only part of a week it is easier to calculate annual leave entitlement in hours.

Standard 7

Employees on short term contracts will have their entitlement calculated pro-rata.

Section 3 - Requesting Annual Leave

Standard 8

All requests for leave should be made directly to the person who is authorised to grant the request for leave. Usually this is the member of staffs’ immediate manager.

Standard 9

Requests for leave should be submitted at least 21 days in advance of the requested date. It is understood that there will be some exceptions to this rule.

Standard 10

Any request for leave of less than 21 days notice has a greater risk of being rejected.

Standard 11

Authorising Managers must notify the member of staff of the decision within 7 days of receiving the request. A request for annual leave should not be considered as approved until confirmation has

been received from the authorising manager even if it exceeds 7 days.

Standard 12

Authorising managers are to ensure all agreed leave is recorded in Cascade by the 9th of the month following the period of the annual leave taken.

The Action Group


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Example.

If the period of annual leave was 2nd-10th March, it would be required to be recorded in Cascade by the beginning of the month.

Standard 13.

Annual leave cannot be drawn from the following year’s entitlement and “Borrowed” unless the leave requested runs from one leave year in to the next leave year in a single period.

Section 4 - Carrying Forward Annual Leave

Standard 14 Each year’s annual leave must be taken within that entitlement year. Standard 15 Employees who are unable to take all their leave entitlement in the current year, can, with the agreement of their line manager carry forward up to 5 days. (or equivalent pro rata for part time employees) to the following year. Authorising managers should advise the HR Analyst, how much annual leave is being carried forward in order that Cascade can be updated.

Section 5 - Extended Leave Requests

Standard 16 Where an employee wishes to take more than 3 weeks annual leave on one occasion this request must be given in writing and authorised in advance by a Development /Senior Manager. (See form in Part 1 appendix 1). The request will be acknowledged in writing by the Development Manager or HR either to authorise the leave or give reason/s why it is not possible to authorised the request.

Section 6 - Unpaid Leave Requests

Standard 17

Where an employee has taken all their leave entitlement they may request an unpaid leave break, this can be no longer than 6 months and must be authorised in advance by a Senior Manager. (See form in Part 1 appendix 1)

Standard 18

The Action Group


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There is no entitlement to accrue leave whilst on unpaid leave.

Section 7 – Compressed Working Week and Annual Leave

Standard 19

Staff who are on a ‘compressed week’ will have their annual leave calculated based on the number of hours in their working day.

For example a member of staff on 39 hour week compressed into 4 days. Taking a weeks annual leave would have 39 hours deducted from their entitlement. The same member of staff taking a single days leave would have 9.75 hours deducted from their entitlement, not 7.8 hours.

Section 8 - Annual Leave and Maternity Provision

Standard 20

Employees on maternity,adoption, or shared parental leave maintain their entitlement to annual leave.

Standard 21

Refer to Family Friendly Working policy section 9: (Which states) An employee on maternity leave will continue to accrue contractual leave during this period, An employee whose maternity period spans two annual leave periods years is entitled to carry forward all outstanding additional holiday entitlement from the first year into the following year.

Section 9 - Gift Leave

Standard 22

When an employee has completed 15 years of continuous service with The Action Group they will be allowed a one off ‘gift leave’ of 2 weeks if the individual is in a full time contract. This will be pro rata for part time staff.

Standard 23

The Action Group


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Gift Leave can only be taken in blocks of 1 or 2 weeks at a time. I.E one period of 2 weeks or 2 periods of 1 week.

Standard 24

Gift leave must be used within a 2 year period of it being gifted. At the end of the period if not used it cannot be carried forward.

Standard 25

When applying for ‘Gift Leave’ the member of staff must use the application form at Part 1 appendix 2 and submit it to HR to input on to Cascade

Section 10 - Annual Leave and The Disciplinary Standards

Standard 26

When an employee is suspended from work they must seek agreement and authorisation to book any leave with the named Investigating Officer in advance of the dates of leave in order that this leave does not hinder the investigation.

Standard 27

Where a suspended employee has, prior to their suspension, authorised annual leave, these dates must be shared with the Investigating Officer immediately. This annual leave will be honoured and the investigation put on hold until the employees return.

Section 11 - Annual Leave and Sickness Absence

Standard 28

Employees on sick leave continue to accrue their annual leave entitlements.

Standard 29

Where a long-term absence from work continues into the following leave year the employee can carry forward 20 days annual leave entitlement (calculated pro rata for part time staff) minus any days of annual leave taken. For example, a full-time employee on long-term sickness at 31st December 2014 who took 12 days annual leave earlier that year can carry forward 8 days into

The Action Group


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2015. If this calculation results in the employee having less than five days (or pro rata equivalent) to carry forward then standard 15 applies. Standard 30 In circumstances where an employee has not been fit to work for a complete calendar year and they are no longer receiving any pay from The Action Group then the additional annual leave given by The Action Group can be paid in lieu. Standard 31 Where an employee has booked annual leave and falls sick during that period, on production of an appropriate medical certificate they can recover that period of annual leave.

Section 12 - Forced Leave

Standard 32 There may be times that the organisation could impose Annual leave on an individual. This could be for example, for operational reasons, or if a manager is concerned an individual is not taking their holiday entitlement at regular periods, or they will be left with more than 5 days to carry forward at the end of the individual’s leave year. When the organisation has to instruct the member of staff when to take Annual Leave, in all cases notice will be given. The notice period is 2 days notice for every day of leave being taken. Authorisation can only be made by SM or DM. Section 13 – Overtime and sleepovers Standard 33 The purpose of annual leave is for members of staff to rest and have time away from the workplace. As such, employees should not undertake overtime or sleepovers during authorised periods of annual leave. (This includes any ‘days off’ which occur during the period of leave.) Occasionally an employee will volunteer to cover a shift whilst on annual leave in order to prevent a service user being left without support. The Action Group appreciates and welcomes such action, but will normally insist that the employee cancels their leave in such cases so it can be taken at another time. Any exception to this rule must be explicitly authorised by a member of the Senior Management Team.

Section 14 - Leaving The Action Group’s employment

Standard 34

The Action Group


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When an employee comes to leave The Action Group’s employment their annual leave entitlement will be recalculated on a pro-rata basis to take into account their part year service. Standard 35 Any outstanding leave entitlement will be paid in their final salary where the needs of the service have meant that it has not been possible for them to take their remaining leave. Managers must ensure that they have brought holiday records up to date in cascade up to date of leaving. Standard 36 Where an employee has taken more annual leave than they were entitled to when they leave The Action Group, a deduction will be made from their final salary, and should their final salary be insufficient to meet this deduction the Action Group maintain the right to pursue this debt as a civil action.

The Action Group


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Section 15 - Annual Leave Ready Reckoner

Annual Leave Entitlement

Days

Months 29 Days 31 Days 34 Days 38 Days 43 Days

1 2.5 2.5 3 3 3.5

2 5 5 5.5 6 7

3 7 7.5 8.5 9.5 10.75

4 9.5 10 11 12.5 14

5 12 13 14 15.5 17.5

6 14.5 15.5 17 19 21.5

7 16.5 18 19.5 22 25

8 19 20.5 22.5 25 28.5

9 21.5 23 24.5 28.5 32

10 24 25.5 28 31.5 35.5

11 26.5 28 31 34.5 39

12 29 31 34 38 43

The Action Group


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Appendix 1 Extended Leave Request The Action Group

HR/PAYROLL ADVICE

To : Senior Manager Human Resource

From :……………………………………………. (Line Manager)

……………………………………………. (Service Area)

Date : …………………………………………….

INCOMPLETE OR INCORRECT FORMS CANNOT BE ACTIONED

FULL NAME

ADDRESS :

EMPLOYEE NO :

First date of leave

Last date of leave

Total days requested

Reason for request

Please note the information

Is there any A/L carried over from the previous year?

Yes/No (circle)

If yes - how many days

Is there any unpaid leave being taken?

Yes/No (circle)

If yes - how many hours to be deducted from salary

Usual contracted hours per week

Authorisation Signature Date

Member of staff

Line Manager :

Development Manager / Senior Manager

Senior Manager HR

EXTENDED LEAVE REQUEST FORM

The Action Group


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Actioned by HR :

Actioned by Payroll :

The Action Group


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Appendix 2 Gift Leave Request Form The Action Group

HR/PAYROLL ADVICE

To : Senior Manager Human Resource

From :……………………………………………. (Line Manager)

……………………………………………. (Service Area)

Date : …………………………………………….

INCOMPLETE OR INCORRECT FORMS CANNOT BE ACTIONED

FULL NAME

ADDRESS :

EMPLOYEE NO :

First date of leave

Last date of leave

Total days requested *(1 or 2 weeks only)

Reason for request

15 years length of service

Please note the information

Usual contracted hours per week

Authorisation Signature Date

Member of staff

Line Manager :

Development Manager

Senior Manager HR

Actioned by HR :

GIFT LEAVE REQUEST FORM