Annual Leave Policy

Purpose of the annual leave policy

Surecall Recruitment Services Ltd (the Employer, we, our or us) recognise the right of our staff to take paid annual leave each year. We believe that it is important for you to rest, and we strongly encourage you to make use of your annual leave.
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that both staff and managers are clear on the entitlements, rules and processes surrounding your entitlement to annual leave. If you have questions about the contents of this policy, please contact the General Manager or the HR Department.
This policy applies to all employees, irrespective of seniority, tenure and working hours, including all directors and officers, casual or agency staff, trainees, interns, fixed-term staff, and workers (our Staff, you or your). It does not apply to self-employed contractors.
Some of the entitlements and rules in this policy summarise statutory rights. If any statutory rights change and become inconsistent with this policy, we will amend the policy to reflect these changes.
This policy is not part of your contract of employment, and we may amend this policy at any time, at our absolute discretion.

Our annual leave year runs from 1 January to December 31.
Full time workers are entitled a maximum of 28 days of annual leave per year pro rata inclusive of UK bank holidays (your Annual Leave Entitlement) or pro rata thereof for part time workers.
Your Annual Leave Entitlement is the paid time off to which you are entitled. You may request additional unpaid time off, which may be granted entirely at the discretion of the Employer.
Your Annual Leave Entitlement will continue to accrue while you are on any family leave (i.e. parental or adoption leave), bereavement leave or sick leave.

Annual leave is recorded on “Joined Up” Requests for annual leave should be made in writing to your Line Manager.
You should ensure that your annual leave requests are approved before booking a holiday. We are not liable for any loss incurred by you if you incur costs and make commitments prior to receiving approval.
If you take annual leave without approval, we may take disciplinary action against you in accordance with our Disciplinary Procedure, contained within this Staff Handbook.
You should provide notice equivalent to twice the requested number of days off when requesting annual leave.
For example, for 2 days annual leave 4 working days’ notice is required. For two weeks annual leave 4 weeks’ notice is required.
The maximum period of annual leave that can be taken on consecutive days is two weeks.
Please note that the Employer has the right to refuse your annual leave request, taking into consideration business needs (e.g. seasonal busy periods such as the build up to Christmas), the high volume of annual leave requests received at certain times of year (e.g. school holidays), and the notice provided.

Depending on the details of your Assignment and End-client, you may have the option of either:
a) Having your holiday accrue, and paid out by us at the time that you take your annual leave; or
b) Having your holiday paid on an advance basis, alongside your normal remuneration. It is your responsibility to ensure that you save enough to cover any time off, as no further holiday pay will be due.
If you choose ‘option a.’ above, you will be paid your regular pay during any annual leave time that you take. If you work a shift pattern or irregular hours (i.e. a different number of hours each week), your holiday pay will be calculated on the average number of hours per week worked during the preceding 52 weeks.
If you are regularly paid a commission, bonuses, or overtime, an average of the amount you receive from these payments will be added to all your standard holiday pay.

If you become ill during your annual leave, you may reallocate your leave as sick leave by following our usual policy and procedures for sickness. Any time reallocated as sick leave will be added back onto your Annual Leave Entitlement. To use this time, you should request new annual leave following the ordinary procedures outlined in this document.
If you reallocate your annual leave as sick leave, you will be paid according to our Sickness Policy, contained within this Staff Handbook.
If you experience a bereavement during your annual leave, you may reallocate your leave as bereavement leave if you are entitled to such under our bereavement leave and pay practices and procedures. Any time reallocated as bereavement leave will be added back onto your Annual Leave Entitlement. To use this time, you should request new annual leave following the ordinary procedures outlined in this document.
If you reallocate your annual leave as bereavement leave, you will be paid according to our bereavement leave pay rules.

We may require you to take annual leave at a certain time, for example, if we decide to close the business for a period. In such situations, we will give you at least twice as many days’ notice as the amount of annual leave days that we require you to take (e.g. 10 days’ notice for 5 days of annual leave).

Annual leave may be taken at any time during the annual leave year, subject to the discretion of your Line Manager.
Annual leave may, at the discretion of your Line Manager be taken immediately before or after family (i.e. parental or adoption leave) is taken (i.e. it may be added onto your family leave).
If you intend to take annual leave immediately before or after family leave, you should discuss this with your Line Manager when you arrange your family leave.

Time off for bank holidays must be taken and will be deducted from your ordinary Annual Leave Entitlement.

Wherever possible, you should use your full Annual Leave Entitlement for each annual leave year within that year. If you do not, your entitlement cannot be carried over into the next annual leave year and will be lost (subject to the exceptions below).
You may carry over up to 4 weeks of unused Annual Leave Entitlement if you are unable to use your full entitlement within the annual leave year due to being on long-term sick leave, or because you have taken family (i.e. parental or adoption) leave at a time which prevents this. Any annual leave carried over for these reasons must be used within 18 months of the date that it is carried over.

. If you have a holiday arranged before your employment commences, and the required time off is discussed during your recruitment process, we will approve this annual leave.

When you end your employment, or cease an Assignment as a worker, you will receive pay for any remaining Annual Leave Entitlement in your final pay. However, we may require you to use any remaining entitlement during your notice period. If you have opted to have holiday paid on an advance basis, there will be no further holiday pay due.
If, when you end your employment, the amount of annual leave you have taken exceeds the entitlement that you have accrued to that date, we may subtract the amount in excess from your final pay.

Company Director

11th February 2025