How to ask about Christmas time off??

tempnam

Starting a new job next week and I'm wondering how to tactfully find out how much time off we get over Christmas.

It's an office based job (typical Mon - Fri 9-5) in a large firm. I don't wanna go in and within the first couple of days give the impression that I'm already thinking about time off!

I know some companies close for a week or more over the Christmas period, but some just close for Christmas Day & Stephen's Day...

So how would you go about finding out without coming across as someone who's only interested in time off?

davo10

OP, remember annual leave entitlement is accrued based on time worked. Even if you worked everyday between now and year end, you would only be entitled to be paid for 1.6 days off during Christmas.

on the river

Say you have an important family or personal event in your life . That way they will surely give you the nesserary information regarding holidays.

Chattastrophe!

davo10 wrote: »

OP, remember annual leave entitlement is accrued based on time worked. Even if you worked everyday between now and year end, you would only be entitled to be paid for 1.6 days off during Christmas.

I don't think that's what he's asking, he's wondering what dates the office is actually closed over Christmas.

OP, seeing as it's so close to Christmas, it will very likely come up on your first day, when they're confirming your leave entitlement for the year and going through the HR admin stuff. And if it doesn't come up, it's a perfectly reasonable question to ask - no one's going to think you're a dosser or whatever for asking!

Otherwise, depending on what sort of a company it is, would you be able to ring up and say you're a customer and enquire about Christmas opening hours ...?

davo10

It would seem to me that he asking about how much time off he will get during Christmas.

OP is entitled to ask for 1.6 days off, no more, no less. If the company closes for anytime over and above bank holidays, then his contract of employment will say that these days must be assigned as holidays, he will be entitled to be paid only for 1.6 of these days.

Very few companies close up completely these days between Christmas and New Year so chances are OP will have to work during this period.

Simple answer to the original post is, just ask the HR dept next week about annual leave, nobody on here can give the right answer.

Chattastrophe!

davo10 wrote: »

OP is entitled to ask for 1.6 days off, no more, no less. If the company closes for anytime over and above bank holidays, then his contract of employment will say that these days must be assigned as holidays, he will be entitled to be paid only for 1.6 of these days.

Some companies (mine included) pay staff as normal for the time the office is closed over the Christmas holidays, without taking it from annual leave.

Others operate as you mentioned above, where the staff are obliged to use leave for these days.

You can't say he'll only be paid for 1.6 days, as you don't know what the company's policy is, or what his annual leave entitlement is (may be over the statutory minimum.)

davo10

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

Some companies (mine included) pay staff as normal for the time the office is closed over the Christmas holidays, without taking it from annual leave.

Others operate as you mentioned above, where the staff are obliged to use leave for these days.

You can't say he'll only be paid for 1.6 days, as you don't know what the company's policy is, or what his annual leave entitlement is (may be over the statutory minimum.)

Please read previous posts before posting yourself. I said he is "entitled" to 1.6 days, that his contract will confirm whether or not holidays have to be used during period when company may be closed during Christmas period and that only HR will be able to answer his questions. If his contract stipulates that company closes and that these days must be taken as annual leave, then as he will only have accrued 1.6 days, this is the amount of annual leave that will be paid.

As with all situations like this, the contract and HR are the best places to find the answers.

tatli_lokma

But if his contract stipulates excess of the statutory minimum leave then that is his entitlement. He is 'entitled' to whatever the contract/company policy is.

OP don't worry about asking for clarification, as said already its a reasonable question. You could always phrase it as 'what hours do you need me available to work over Christmas' that way it sounds more like you want to be sure you are available rather than you are immediately interested in your first opportunity to take time off

Mrs OBumble

davo10 wrote: »

OP is entitled to ask for 1.6 days off, no more, no less. ....

Very few companies close up completely these days between Christmas and New Year so chances are OP will have to work during this period.

Ahh, not necessarily.

Just because the OP has accrued that many days leave doesn't not necessarily mean that s/he will be allowed to take them at Christmas. It all depends on the contract and the company's HR policies. Some companies say "No A/L for the first three months" or such like.

In my experience most bog-standard office type jobs do close up totally over Christmas - certainly the gig I am in has told us in not uncertain terms that the office is closed 24 Dec - 1 Jan, that we cannot work during this time, and that we need to work with our HR to determine if what parts of this time will be BH, what will be annual leave and what is unpaid leave.

So in short - it all depends.

OP, just ask the question in terms of "what days will you be needing me to work over the Christmas / New Year period?", ie make it sound like you expect to have to work, regard it as a bonus if you don't. But be aware that you may have to take unpaid leave if you don't have to.

davo10

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ahh, not necessarily.



So in short - it all depends.

.

Depends on what? could it be contract and answer from HR?, Hmmm let me see, where did I read that before?.

Regardless of what annual leave is offered in the contract, OP is entitled to at a minimum, the statutory leave accrued, 1.6 days .

Mrs OBumble

davo10 wrote: »

Regardless of what annual leave is offered in the contract, OP is entitled to at a minimum, the statutory leave accrued, 1.6 days .

The legal entitlement is per year, not per month or week. And the employee may only take those days at a time agreed by the employer.

So it is perfectly fine for the employer to say "yes, you have some accured leave, but you cannot take it within your first X months".

davo10

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The legal entitlement is per year, not per month or week. And the employee may only take those days at a time agreed by the employer.

So it is perfectly fine for the employer to say "yes, you have some accured leave, but you cannot take it within your first X months".

Legal entitlement is per days/hours worked, not per week or year. This month is also year end. And where might OP find such a clause and/or clarification ? I hear you ask, yes the contract or HR department. Now where did I read that before?

April O Neill II

davo10 wrote: »

Legal entitlement is per days/hours worked, not per week or year. This month is also year end. And where might OP find such a clause and/or clarification ? I hear you ask, yes the contract or HR department. Now where did I read that before?

Let it go, jeez.

Mrs OBumble

Enough already.

The OP asked for advice about how to ask the question.

Such advice has been given, along with some dubious and not-asked-for comments about whether the leave will be paid or not.

Thread closed.

OP if you want it reopened for more advice, then PM me. Everyone else, if you think I'm being harsh, feel free to report this post and one of the other mods will deal with it.