Around the world in 5 weeks

IsMiseMyself

I work in a smallish company. 20 or so employees. I'd be middle management-ish, and quite important. My manager and I have had a few conversations lately about career progression for me - so it's all going great.

Anyway. I want to take 5 weeks off next year to travel. A friend is getting married in Oz and I want to visit, stay for a while, and tour that part of the world.

Untaken paid holiday is carried over, so I intend to have enough paid holidays so I can take the 5 weeks off - so 25 working days. I'll also chip in from abroad - I have no problem with doing work (within reason) while I travel. I love my job and the company I work in. However, they are very stingy about days off.

So my concern: can taking 5 weeks off in a big chunk get me in trouble or am I covered by using my holidays and giving plenty of notice?

Nody

When you take holidays is at your employer's discretion and they have the right to set down which days you take; hence a informal chat with your boss is probably the best starting point.

livedadream

IsMiseMyself wrote: »

I work in a smallish company. 20 or so employees. I'd be middle management-ish, and quite important. My manager and I have had a few conversations lately about career progression for me - so it's all going great.

Anyway. I want to take 5 weeks off next year to travel. A friend is getting married in Oz and I want to visit, stay for a while, and tour that part of the world.

Untaken paid holiday is carried over, so I intend to have enough paid holidays so I can take the 5 weeks off - so 25 working days. I'll also chip in from abroad - I have no problem with doing work (within reason) while I travel. I love my job and the company I work in. However, they are very stingy about days off.

So my concern: can taking 5 weeks off in a big chunk get me in trouble or am I covered by using my holidays and giving plenty of notice?

it depends on the needs of the business, not alot of companies allow you to carry over annual leave as it leave them in this position.

5 week paid holidays is a lot of an organisation which you admit yourself is smallish, you also state you are important, which could make your role vital.

seamus

As said, you can't just "take" the holidays, the company has to agree to it. So if they don't want you to do it, then they don't have to let you.

That said, it's rarely that simple. If an employee makes a request for holidays that's turned down, they may become sour. If the company grudgingly agrees to it, that doesn't mean you won't be treated differently.

My suggestion is to bring it up as soon as possible. That way it can be integrated into the longer-term planning. As Nody says, an informal chat with your boss kind of now-ish explaining what it is that you would like to do and that fact that it requires 5 weeks off.

The longer you leave it, the more likely it is that some important project gets scheduled and then you have to turn around and ask for five weeks off right in the middle of it.

IsMiseMyself

Grand. Cheers, all. Pretty much confirms my suspicions. Fingers crossed I'll get the go-ahead if we plan it carefully!