Policies

Annual holidays
Public holidays
Additional leave

Appendix 1: Holiday/absence request form

Annual holidays

The holiday year runs from 1st January to 31st December. 

Holiday entitlement 

Each employee’s annual holiday entitlement is detailed in their Statement of Terms and Conditions. Annual holiday entitlement accrues at the rate of one twelfth of the full annual holiday entitlement, on the 1st of each month, in advance. Employees with less than 12 months’ continuous service with the council are not entitled to take annual holiday until it has accrued.

Calculation of holiday pay

Hourly paid employees will be paid at their normal rate of pay and salaried employees will be paid their normal salary in respect of periods of annual holiday. If an employee’s work has no fixed or regular hours, or they work regular overtime, their holiday pay will be based on the average pay they received over the previous 52 weeks. This includes all those who are on a zero-hours contract or shifts that change without a fixed pattern. If an employee has been employed less than 52 weeks, their holiday pay will be based on the total weeks worked to the date that annual leave is taken.

Timing of holidays

Where relevant to their role, employees should avoid taking holidays at the time of, or immediately before or after, full council meetings. The council may require employees to reserve a specified amount of annual holiday entitlement to be taken at a time set by the council, and will give employees advance notice of such a requirement. The notice given will be at least twice the period of annual holiday that the employees will be required to take during the specified time.

Booking holiday

No more than two weeks of annual holiday entitlement can normally be taken at any one time.  All periods of annual holiday must be authorised in advance by the Chair. Employees are required to submit completed Holiday Request Forms to the Chair a minimum of one month prior to the requested annual holiday start date.  Requests for annual holiday will normally be granted on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Employees must not make firm annual holiday arrangements before receiving confirmation from the Chair that their request has been authorised. Employees who take unauthorised annual holiday will be subject to disciplinary action.

The granting of all holiday requests will be subject to adequate cover being available to meet the needs of the council, so the Chair reserves the right to limit the number of employees who may take holiday at any one time. Any conflicts of employees in mutually reliant roles wanting to book the same holiday dates will be determined by discussion with their line manager or the council Chair. 

Carrying holiday over

Employees are not permitted to carry over accrued annual holiday from one holiday year to the next. In exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the council, employees may be permitted to carry over untaken holiday, maximum of one week, from one holiday year to the next, provided they have taken the statutory minimum holiday entitlement in the holiday year. 

Employees who are ill during a period of authorised annual holiday are not normally permitted to take the annual holiday at a later time, unless a medical certificate has been provided. Please refer to the council’s Sickness and Absence Policy for further details of this. 

Termination of employment

On termination of employment, employees will be entitled to holiday pay accrued but not taken at the date of termination of employment. If on termination of employment an employee has taken more annual holiday than he or she has accrued in that holiday year, an appropriate deduction will be made from the employee’s final pay. The council may require an employee to take all or part of any outstanding holiday entitlement during a period of notice to terminate employment or during Garden Leave.

Public holidays

Full time employees are entitled to eight public holidays each year in addition to annual holiday entitlement, and will be advised of the relevant dates as early as possible. Recognised public holidays are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday, August Bank Holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Part time employees are entitled to public holidays pro rata.

Due to the nature of council business, employees may be required to work during recognised public holidays. Employees will be given as much notice as possible of such a requirement. Employees who are required to work on a recognised public holiday will be entitled to receive the equivalent time off in lieu, which must be taken at a time convenient to council business. In addition, employees working on a public holiday may be entitled to payment at the rate stated in their Statement of Terms and Conditions. 
 
Additional Leave

An additional, non-contractual bonus, employees will be paid an extra day’s paid holiday after five years completed service. This will increase as per the table below:

Completed years’ service    Holiday entitlement per year is contractual entitlement plus:

5-10    One day, pro rata to full time
10-15    Two days, pro rata to full time
15-20    Three days, pro rata to full time
Over 20    Four days, pro rata to full time

Where employees have had no sickness absence during a holiday year the council may, at its sole discretion, also provide eligible employees with additional paid leave to be taken in the following holiday year.  Any such additional leave does not form part of employees’ holiday entitlement and cannot be carried forward from one holiday year to the next.

This is a non-contractual policy and procedure which will be reviewed from time to time.
Date of policy: March 2023
Approving committee: HR Committee
Date of committee meeting: TBC
Policy version reference: V1110323
Supersedes: N/A
Policy effective from: TBC
Date for next review: TBC

 
Appendix 1: Holiday/Absence Request Form

Deeping St Nicholas Parish Council 

Holiday/ Absence Request Form 

I would like to take the following annual holiday:

Number of days/hours* of holiday remaining before the above request: ……………….……………….

Number of days/hours* of holiday remaining after the above request: ………………….……………….

Signed by Employee: ………………………………………………………………….

Print name: ……………………………………………………………………………....

Date: ………………………………………………………………………………………...

Approved?  YES / NO* 

If No, reason for not approving request: …………………………………………………...………………………….

Signed by Chair: ……….………………….………...…………….……………....

Print name: …………………………………………………………………………….

Date: ……………….……………………………………………………….…………...

*delete as applicable