With no real clarity as to when businesses can fully open again or how long lockdown measures will last, it can be challenging to plan employees’ annual leave. Amy Ling looks at employers’ obligations regarding holiday and what they can and can’t ask employees to do.
Although it has only been a few weeks since lockdown was announced, hopping on a plane for a week by the beach now feels a lifetime away. With some employees now working flat out to keep essential services going whilst others are stuck at home on furlough, how should annual leave be dealt with in a time of coronavirus?
What are an employer’s obligations?
Workers are entitled to a paid annual leave of 5.6 weeks per year. This is made up of four weeks derived from the EU’s Working Time Directive (WTD leave) and 1.6 weeks provided under the UK’s Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR).
Annual leave
Together, this works out at 28 days for a full-time employee. Many will also be entitled to additional holiday days under their contract of employment.
Employers have an obligation to ensure that, as a minimum, employees take their WTD leave each year. A failure to do so can create exposure to claims for compensation and/or a declaration they should be permitted to take holiday.
Usually, getting employees to take their holiday entitlement is not an issue. However, with so many employees now working from home and unable to travel or visit family, many are reluctant to consider annual leave. Others are unable to book holiday due to the need to continue to work to meet increased demand or provide essential services.
Should we encourage employees to take leave during lockdown?
As a matter of good practice, employees should be encouraged to take their leave proportionately through the leave year, including any period of lockdown.
The fundamental purpose of annual leave is a non-working period of rest and relaxation (rather than foreign travel). It’s important employees take regular breaks away from the demands of the email inbox, customers and targets for their wellbeing and health.
Employees should be prompted to book leave and reminded of the restorative value of simply taking the time to be ‘offline’, even if this doesn’t involve leaving the house.
Can employers dictate when leave is taken?
The WTR allows employers to compel employees to take holiday (unless their policies or employment contracts specify otherwise). To do so, an employer just needs to give notice of the requirement to take holiday which is twice the length of the holiday proposed, so four days’ notice for two days of leave.
Requiring employees to take leave is obviously a less desirable option than encouraging employees to take leave and should be exercised with caution. Employees are not likely to take kindly to being “forced” to take time off and careful messaging should be used to assure them of the benefits of holiday on their own wellbeing.
What about furloughed employees?
Unless agreed otherwise, furloughed employees are still entitled to take holiday and to receive their “usual holiday pay” for this time.
This means those receiving only 80% of their normal pay will typically be entitled to a top up of the additional 20%. When it comes to bank holidays, HMRC’s guidance states that if employees usually take these days as annual leave, they should receive a top-up or day in lieu.
Because employers of furloughed employees only need to fund the top-up rather than the whole holiday day, encouraging (or requiring) employees to take holiday during furlough can therefore be a cost-effective option for employers with sufficient cashflow.
Can we force employees to use up all their holiday during lockdown?
It may be tempting for some employers to compel employees to take all of their annual holiday entitlement during lockdown or furlough on the basis they can return to work in July/August ‘all hands on deck’.
However, this is a risky approach and should be avoided. Aside from a corrosive effect on goodwill and team morale, legal challenges are likely to result. There is even a risk in some circumstances that running down leave entirely could be a breach of the implied term of trust and confidence, giving rise to resignations and claims of constructive unfair dismissal.
It’s worth remembering leave can be managed in other ways. Many employers are asking employees to have taken, say, 40% of their annual holiday entitlement by the end of August (if they have a January to December holiday year).
In addition, there is no obligation on an employer to agree to holiday requests and it’s reasonable to refuse these where there are business needs to be met. If employees are unable to take all their holiday as a result, then they may be able to carry this over to the next holiday year.
What are the new rules on carrying over leave?
At the other end of the spectrum to furloughed employees are those who would want to take holiday but are unable to do so because of the demands created by the pandemic.
In recognition of this, new regulations came into force in March allowing the four weeks of WTD leave to be rolled over for up to two leave years. This is a departure from the usual position, which usually prohibits any roll over of WTD leave from year to year.
Although clearly aimed at those keeping the nation going in these difficult times, the regulations are not restricted just to ‘essential’ or ‘key’ workers.
Any employee will qualify for a roll over if they have been unable to take holiday as a result of the impact of the coronavirus either on them, their family, the wider economy or society.
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For example, an employee may find they are not permitted to take holiday whilst furloughed, but upon their return to work business is so busy it’s not possible to take their entitlement before the end of the year.
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68 comments
Can my employer force me to have 5 days holidays whilst on furlough when I’m in lockdown
Yes…..as long as in this case of 5 days leave, they give you a min of 10 days notice of this, before the start of the leave period.
Can my employer make me take ALL my holiday whilst I am furloughed? Leaving me with no holiday when I return to work.
Holiday year is April to April, so I will return to work in September/October (due to not enough demand) and will not be able to take any holiday until April 2021.
Did you get an answer to this Sue? My sister is faced with the same situation and being asked to take a years worth of annual leave now
My employer is saying,,in accordance with the working time regulations 1998,,an employer can force an employee to take annual leave. To do this lawfully, employers must give employees twice as much notice of the amount of annual leave they are being asked to take. There saying if anyone who has not returned to work by 25th may will be required to take the last working week as holidays. But if you are back at work now or are requested to return on or before the 25th then please disregard…
Can my employer force this upon us during furlough under lockdown??
Jaybo,
According to the modified terms under the new 2020 amendments to the 1998 act, it seems to be in more our favour rather than theirs. Employees have a right to switch their week to next year rather than be forced to take it. Employers are also bound to the 2020 amendments in the act. Think they are trying to pull a fast one. They only quoted the 1998 act and not the 2020 amendments for coronavirus in the email.
Jayboooooo
My employer is forcing me to take all my annual leave while being furloughed. Can’t be right surely.
Hi Peter, did you receive an answer to this as I’m in same situation?
Hi guys,
From what I gather, employers can force you to go on holiday, although it is good practise for employers to ask employees. All that is needed is double the length of the holiday. ie, If you have the typical 5.6 weeks holiday (equivalent to 28 days), they need to give you at least 56 days notice.
Now, if you’re uncomfortable with this and have holidays booked later in the year. You can apply for Constructive Dismissal as it’s breaking trust between the employer and employee. You can also make financial claims if you go down this route. Please note however that you are terminating your employment.
Employers have been warned not see the pandemic as an excuse to deplete employees holiday as it does exactly that – breaks trust.
Hope it gets resolved soon.
My employer wants me to backdate holiday to furlough period. They as a goodwill (own choice) decided to top up earnings. Giving holiday back only compensates what they topped up. They took offence when I questioned the legality of the request.
I have been furloughed and today 15/5/2020 I received a letter from my employer who pays me the shortfall of 20% that it is compulsory to take 4 Days holiday out of my annual leave from 26 – 29th May and they have agreed that up to 5 days of annual leave can be carried over until 31st August am I allowed to do this?
I am on furlough pay .On 15/5/2020 my employer required me to take 21 days(out of 28) holiday spread over June,July and August .This is 75% of my holiday to be taken during furlough .Do they have the right to force me to take so many days ? Do I have any legal rights to refuse or to agree for less days holiday?
Hi I was was called last week to say I need to use 7 days annual leave and to book by today. I explained the 20% I’m incurring is what I would spend on childcare and due to not currently paying it, financially it wouldn’t work for me.I offered 3.5 days to help the business but the reply I got was that annual leave may not be authorised in future so you may want to think about using more. My annual leave is solely for school holidays I have two children and I am a single parent.
She also denied that holidays can be carried over. I’m worried if I lose my job those holidays will cost me out of my final wage. Our holidays run from April to April is this seen as legal or reasonable.
If I am working during this lock down period am I able to still request time off within the next two weeks?
i was sent home from work on lockdown because i have medical issues. while i was off i had 8 days booked off in april will i lose them 8 days or will my job just pay me because it was them who sent me home. i was happy to carry on working but they said i had to go home because i was at high risk with covid-19. so will i keep my hoilday times thankyou
Iv been furloughed and was due to go on holiday fri 22/5. I received a letter saying although i am furloughed i must still take this anual leave is this right?
I have been told that my employer is going to take 10 days leave off me due to the coronavirus. Is this legal?
I’m trying to find this out as my employer has taken over 50% of my holiday allowance from me.
I’ve been told that when I return to work from being furloughed I will loose some of my holiday entitlement. For example if I have 10 weeks off I will loose 7 days. Is this correct??
Did u get this answered , mine are doing the same now
Hi,
My annual leave runs from September to September. I am on furlough being paid 80% of my usual wages right now and work for a large corporate entertainments industry. My employer has informed me that whenever I return to work (if I return to work) that all my annual leave will have to have been be taken. In other words, I am on furlough, but this will be re-termed as annual leave for as many days annual leave that I have left (around 23 including some bank holiday entitlement). They are not going to allow us to carry any annual leave over during the next two years as the Governments relaxation guidelines. There is also speculation that these will be paid at the 80% rate. Seems harsh after 38 years loyal service. Is it actually legal? Many thanks
I received a message today asking me to come into work on Thursday for some training even though I am furloughed and I then received a further message saying this current week commencing 25th of May must be taken as holiday and I will receive full pay for this week. Can they do that when I havent been given sufficient notice and will technically be working on one of the 5 days ??
I had a holiday planned for 1 week In May I checked our online system to make sure it had been completed, long story short they were back on
So I took them off them to be told it was too late as the deadline had passed , I contacted head office and asked the question to have the days removed as holiday as I didn’t want them.,
They replied saying my orginal request was denied unsure why ! I never received any contract from my piers nor on our online system .
Are they allowed to do this also what can I do
Are companies allowed to do that
See I need help the other way round as my employer will not let me take holiday during this lockdown period, which is annoying working full time with no days off.
I’m in the same situation. I have holiday booked in June and have worked right throughout lockdown which has now been extended here in Wales for a further three weeks. How can I get my employer to agree the time off please?
If our company has some (but not all) employees on furlough, are the remaining employees permitted to take one or two weeks leave? We have been told that if we want to take leave we have to be furloughed for the minimum period of three weeks meaning that :-
– We can have one week holiday (paid at full pay) and two weeks furlough (currently 80%)
– We can have two weeks holiday (paid in full) and one weeks furlough
Is this allowed? Is there a reason why we are not able to just take the one or two weeks without having to be furloughed?
Just as an added piece of info. My employer is not refusing us holiday, but is saying that if we want to take holiday they have got to furlough us for a minimum period. (Government Legislation).
We have been told that ‘a business’ is not able to give holiday (in increments of one or two weeks only), but that we want to take holiday we can take one week and be furloughed for two, or take two weeks and be furloughed for one – either option equating to the three week minimum period.
The crucks of it being that we have to ‘out of the business’ for a minimum period of three weeks, some of which ‘must’ be furlough!?
This apparently is only because half – but not all – the staff are on furlough.
Any help on this would be gratefully appreciated.
Hi
My company has asked me to take a weeks holiday during furlough, i understand they are topping up the 80% by the 20% for this, with Regards to the number of days holiday, I would normally take 4 days for a week as I only work 4 days, does this mean that I have only used 20% of a weeks holiday as they have only paid 20%, or have I used a full weeks holiday?
I believe lots of companies will use this to their advantage for saving money and effectively taking from the employee. If someone has to take forced holiday for a month whilst furloughed, the employer will only pay 20% of that holiday cost out of their own pocket, as the government pays the rest. If then the employee is made redundant after the furlough period, the employee looses out on getting that final holiday payment into their final salary, assuming they hadn’t taken any of their holiday (where as at redundancy talks normally that would cost the employer 100% of the holiday payment).
so the employee only gains 20% whilst on furlough but looses out the 80% when made redundant.
I was furloughed and received 80% of my normal pay. I had pre-existing annual leave holidays booked before this pandemic began. My employer is saying that during the time I was furloughed to now, I am only entitled to 20% of my holidays booked during my furloughed time, giving me my pre-booked days back in hours of just 20% of the full day. Is this correct?! I also read that if bank holidays are part of your annual leave allowance, your pay should be topped up the extra 20% by your employer, along with the 80% from government – I have not had full pay for my bank holidays. Please can someone give me more information and tell me if this is legal.
Ive been furloughed since April, but the company I work for, didn’t close down completely. I’ve been asked to return next week for other employees to take their annual leave, who didn’t want sign up to the furlough agreement to keep working, whilst other employees are still furloughed. Is this right? I’m the only employee with 2 children under the age of 6. The 3 other furloughed employees have no children and aged between 30 and 45 is this right?
My employer has told us that we will be on annual leave for 2 weeks totaling 10 days, the first week being 08/05 and the second week is the last week of August, I already have 7 days booked off at the start of August and we have to take 5 days over the Xmas period this year. Our holiday allowance is 20 days pa + Bank Holidays, we were also told that we could roll a weeks holiday into next year. Now maths isn’t my strong point but I can clearly see a problem here. Is there anything I can do?
My employer has cancelled all annual leave due to business continuity requirements during lockdown – with no current end date. My individual contract entitles me to 35 days annual leave of which I have taken none so far. I am worried that I have no legal guarantees here. Is there any way I could completely lose my annual leave?
Can an employer bring you back to work after being furloughed from April but then inform you on your return that they are going to back pay you 2 weeks in a “we are going to say you took 2 weeks holiday in April”even though I never booked anything off. All in an attempt to prevent me from having any holiday entitlements from now until the end of the year. Surely this can’t be allowed?
Hi just wondering if you found any answers to this please as I was unfurloughed on the 18th of June with 17 holiday days to use before October but I got told yesterday I will only be getting paid 20% for these holidays even tho i’ve Been back at work 5 weeks nearly so technically aren’t furloughed anymore
Hi Bernadette did you get a answer to your question as my employer is trying to do the same to me.
Eagerly wait your reply
My husband is being furloughed for the second time from end of July to end of August. His company are asking to use 9 days of his annual leave entitlement to ensure he receives 100% of his pay during this period. He doesn’t have enough annual leave to cover him so they are taking days off his annual leave entitlement for next year. Is this legal? Are they allowed to do this?
My employer hasn’t been paying us the full amount of holiday pay and just giving us the 80% furlough. Is this correct?
My employer has just cancelled all Annual leave for August I have a holiday booked as I had it approved early for a special birthday treat is this allowed.
Angela did u get an answer to your question?
My employer forced us to take a weeks holiday at the start of April, giving less than 2 weeks notice as required by law. They now say they were entitled to enforce the holiday without notice as the legal requirement only applies to the statutory 4 weeks holiday entitlement and my employer gives us 5 weeks holiday entitlement. So in short, they can do what they want with the ‘extra’ weeks holiday. Does this sound right?
My husband had been asked to go back to work from Furlough , he went to work for 3 and a half weeks then was told he wasn’t needed for Thursday and Friday and they would let him know if he was needed the following week. He was asked to attend work again on Wednesday. His manager had now told him his pay will be short by 4 days, they have told him to take annual leave to make up the short fall or unpaid . Can they do this as he didn’t ask not to go to work .
I am on furlough but my employer wants to bring me back to cover people who haven’t been off on Furlough who will want to take holidays. Is this right? Thanks.
Really? If that were me i would grab the chance to help out those that have been working all the way through with no breaks!
I have bee’ furloghed since April . My employer asked me to take 25% of annual leave.
How should my holiday be paid in hours? Let’s say my shift is 8.5 hours and usually 30 minutes break is not paid. I have to take 9 days which should be 72 hours (9*8)
My employer paid me 20% and the rest furloghed money. If was quite a small amount for 9 days annual leave. I think they should have paid me in hours .
A guy at work was asked to shield for 3 months (just from HR, not from the government) and on his return to work, he has been told he has had to use his own lieu time that he had banked over the last few years (over 200 hours) so essentially paid for is own time off because he has lieu hours. Every one else who got told to shield had no lieu hours acrewed because they get paid over time so basically got the 3 months off for free. Can they legally do this as it seems very unfair. He only got notification of this on his return to work and didn’t feel he needed to shield in the first place
Hello
What are the repercussions for the employers?? I was told on the 24th of March I was being furloughed, was put on leave for a week and furloughed from 1st of April. What can I do about this? Thank you
Hi,
Is my employer allowed to deny me holiday for 3 months after I return from furlough claiming I’ve already had 13 weeks off so don’t need anymore (even though I have not used and holiday durin furlough)
I have been furloughed since 1 May. My employer is maintaining everyone’s pay at 100%. They have decided to make us take a portion of our annual leave, equivalent to what we have accrued in this time, on days of their choosing during furlough. They have set out a schedule for this.
In addition they have added bank holiday days to this requirement. So, since there have been 2 bank holidays in the time I’ve been furloughed they have added an extra 2 days to the requirement to take leave.
Everything I’ve read suggests they should be doing the opposite with Bank Holidays so I feel they have not understood the guidelines.
They have said from the beginning that we won’t be allowed to carry over more than our usual 5 days leave, although the guidelines say up to 4 weeks can be carried over.
Are they acting correctly?
Im back from furlough,and I book holiday on end of August,but my boss still not sign my holiday,I waiting 4 week and still no answer,how many days my boss have ,to give me my holiday form back?
Hi we all got furloughed , I was asked to come back after a week , which I worked from early hours to very late , very excused. We got told we would get paid for the rest of the week as I’m a florist and we had orders in just after lock down . We got told we had to take a weeks holiday or not be paid , I did not want to take my hols as I always seem to miss out mine and get asked to come in , so am I still owed my weeks holiday by law or have I lost the days .
I have been furloughed since 23rd April. I received a letter from my employer in June that all accrued annual leave not taken will be paid along with July wage at full rate, so in theory I will probably receive a full wage in July. Yesterday they put us on 30-day consultation and most probably notice. So not only have they left a few of us on 80% all this time they are ending our jobs and not giving us annual leave in lieu. My 30 days notice is my annual leave. Legal but very immoral
I have been furloughed since mid April and im only getting the 80%. Our annual holidays are from January to December and so far i have only taken three days off would it be feasible to ask my employer to book me every Friday off for the next two months (July and August ).
My mam has a holiday booked and paid for in October however her company is saying she would have to take unpaid leave as they are using her holiday entitlement to support the business through the furlough surely this can’t be right bearing in mind she had paid for this and booked the holidays in at the end of last year? Any help would be appreciated
My sons company have said that there will be no annual leave for 3 months when they return after lockdown. We are moving house, he will only want 1-2 days. Can they do that?
Hey there. Can my employer refuse to allow me to carry over holiday? My contract says we can not carry holiday into a new holiday year, but with the governments new law saying people can now carry their holiday into the next year because it wasn’t possible to use the days up due to lockdown. I had holidays left before lockdown. Does my employer have to let me carry these day over. My understanding is my contract cannot give my less than statutory right. If I cant carry my holidays surely that considered a loss to me?
Hi Michael
Just wondered whether you had got an answer on this as I now have the same query?
Thanks
My situation is I started a 25 hour week as a private cook /housekeeper on a full contract with 25 days paid holiday . I had booked a trip to Portugal on 6/04 for a week then Covid came along . During lockdown I still cooked from home did a meals on wheels and took their dog for a walk plus did the shopping and delivered it. I was furloughed but was paid in full £300 per week for a usually 25 hour week. How much paid holiday should I be entitled to and if I cannot take it should I be paid it?
Good afternoon. I was returned to work from Furlough in mid September. While I was working, employer forced to take remaining holidays belore end of October. I was at the same time working and “kind of” taking holidays same time. At the end of my full month of work I got pay for a month and just 20% top up of the holidays I had to use (was still working those days). Now, I do not have any holidays left till 1st January 2021 and was paid for it only 20%. It does not sound right… Would someone explain from legal prospect please? Very forward. Thank you.
All, My husbands employer is very anti- work from home, so when we went into lockdown they insisted that for every 5 days he worked at home, he would lose 1 day of annual leave allowance as compensation to the company for letting him work from home. Does seems a bit shady to me, does any know the legalities of this scenario? He now owes them 2 weeks of holidays which they are they going to take out of his salary. Thank you.
Am I allowed to go on holiday abroad whilst furloughed without actually requesting holidays?
My husband was furloughed from the beginning of lockdown, made to take some holiday and promised 11 days would be carried over. They stopped furlough on 1st August but as the company were not operating COVID secure and my wife was and remains clinically extremely vulnerable, I gave in my notice on 16th August. My boss persuaded me to take a career break for 6 months, but my wife’s condition worsened and I contacted him to say I needed to leave. He promised to ring and chat but after 5 days of not hearing, I sent a letter of resignation by special delivery. I received no pay from August till November 25 when I received 5 days pay not the 11 as promised. I now have a gap in NI contributions, and because they did not accept my resignation in August can’t claim backdated carers Allowance of £67.25 only from date I sent in resignation. Still waiting for p45 and p60 which I need for DWP.
I have been on the shielding list since march and was furloughed from march till August. I have been back at work since then but still have just over a weeks worth of annual leave left for me to take this year. The financial year is jan-dec. I haven’t been asked by my employer to take it this year. Is it legally valid for me to ask them to carry it forward to next year due to new legislation from covid?
I was on furlough back in April for 3 weeks and again in June for 3 weeks my employer is now in the process of taking 2 days holiday off each employee for every 3 weeks on furlough no one was made aware of this at the start but now at the start of December they have decided to do this is this right what they are doing?
Hi,
Can my employer make me take leave I haven’t yet accrued?
HI, MY EMPLOYER HAS STATED THAT DURING THIS LOCKDOWN NO MEMBER OF STAFF IS TO TAKE ANY HOLIDAYS. IS THIS LEGAL?
I was told on Tuesday last week that I will have to tack 3 days holidays. Be cous of the weather is this legal
Hello,
My employer is trying to impose that we all take 8 days of holiday (out of 23) by the end of June. I have had already booked 10 days of AL in August before the email was sent, leaving me with 13 days.
I have asked if I could take 8 days as requested, but instead of taking it by the end of June I would like to take it from 28th of June to 7th of July as I must attend an event which I was meant to go to last year (it had been cancelled due to corona, and instead of refunds they have transferred the pass to this year’s event) which will be held from 30th of June until 5th of July.
I have been told there is no exceptions and I must take at least 8 days by June. And if I would like to use the remaining 5 days of AL in July that is fine (this will leave me no AL until next year and I was planning to see my family for Christmas as I did not get a chance to see them in 5 years) or else I should reschedule my other AL.
See below:
“H1 Annual Leave Use: All employees are requested to take a minimum of 8 days of holidays before the 30th of June. Those employees who have not requested via ****** at least 8 days by the 1st of May (to be used until the 30th of June) will be asked to take holidays in specific days within the period selected by their Line Manager.
As there are no exceptions.
Best regards”
Could you please advise?
Can the employer force me to take time off by June? I thought they would have been more understanding and let me take the 8 days with a few days delay.
Many thanks,
P.
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