Page 69 - Bretland Group Employee Handbook Dec 2019 v.1

SECTION4: BENEFITS

4.1 ANNUAL LEAVE
Unless greater holiday provision is made in your individual contract of employment, you will be
entitled to 20 days holidays on an annual basis (excluding public holidays) or as outlined below. The
Company gives a contractual entitlement to 21 days annual leave. Employees must retain a minimum
of four days annual leave for the Christmas period. The Company request that no additional annual
leave is applied for in the month of December.
4.1.1 Calculation of Holiday Entitlement
Where employees have worked less than a full year or less than 1,365 hours in that leave year, the
employee will be entitled to one-third of a working week for each month in the leave year in which he
or she works at least 117 hours, or 8 per cent of the hours actually worked in a leave year (subject to
a maximum of four working weeks leave).

All employees who have worked for eight months or more, working at least 117 hours per month, will
be entitled to an unbroken period of two weeks holidays.

All Annual Leave will be approved at the Company's discretion. However, the Company will agree
holidays with the employee bearing in mind work/operational requirements, opportunities for rest
and recreation and family responsibilities of the employee.

4.1.2 Illness during Annual Holiday
If you fall ill during a holiday and submit a medical certificate covering the day(s) in question, you will
be granted alternative days off in lieu.

4.1.3 Applying for Annual Leave
To apply for holiday leave, you must:

• Complete an Annual Leave Request Form

• Discuss the matter with a Senior Manager as far in advance as possible. Ideally, you
should give six weeks’ notice of your request to take annual leave.
• Annual Leave is granted on a first come first served basis while also reviewed on the
basis of the operational requirements of the business.

• Should be aware that at certain peak trading times it may be necessary to limit the
number of people taking holidays at any one time.

• Should any employee who has had their leave denied due to operational
requirements then go on unauthorised absence this will be treated as a disciplinary
offence and the employee may be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

• Only two weeks holidays are to be taken at any one time. Only a Senior Manager has
the authority to approve holidays for a period longer than two weeks. A minimum of
two weeks’ notice must be given for all holiday requests, the dates of which are to be
requested and approved by prior arrangement with the company.
4.1.4 Half-day Holidays
Half day holidays must be authorised using the holiday authorisation form. A half day is defined as
four hours of any rostered 8-hour shift. Half day holidays may be taken as part of annual leave
entitlement with the agreement of the Company.

Page 68 of 80