Should Parents Have Priority for Leave During School Summer Holidays?

As we approach the school summer holidays, employers will likely receive increased requests for annual leave.

The placement of these holidays in the middle of summer, usually at the end of July and throughout August, can result in a significant number of workers requesting leave at the same time, including staff members who have not got any children.

What British law says

Although the Working Time Regulations 1998 instructs that all employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid leave per year, managers are under no obligation to accept all leave requests. It is down to the discretion of the employer when their workforce takes annual leave, meaning you are well within your rights to refuse a parent’s request for leave over the summer and are under no expectation to prioritize this over a non-parent colleague.

However, when reaching a decision, it is important to remember the impact that your actions may have upon your staff.

What’s the impact of prioritizing certain requests?

By denying parents the chance to spend more time with their children whilst they are away from school for a prolonged period, you strongly risk them becoming demoralized within their role and this having a detrimental effect to their output.

Another issue that can arise is the issue of fairness.  Other employees may feel the system is unfair if they are denied requests in favor of their colleagues regardless of the reason. It is important to remember that all employees place great significance on their leave entitlement and refusal can often be met with annoyance.

What’s the solution?

In these situations, business owners should ensure that no employee is receiving preferential treatment. A strong “first come, first served” rule should be implemented, ensuring an open and fair policy that allows all employees the chance to request leave for the same period.

From here, employees with young families could be strongly encouraged to make their requests as early as possible or risk disappointment.

Organizations could also consider allowing parents of young children flexible hours during the summer in order to assist them in childcare arrangements and potentially dissuade an additional requirement for time off.

It should be noted that, in situations where parents need time away to deal with unexpected child caring issues, they may be entitled to a one to two day “time off for dependants” period that would usually be unpaid.

When taking requests for annual leave, managers should always be open and honest with their workforce. Whilst employers should try to approve the leave if possible, they should avoid prioritizing requests from any employee, irrelevant of their parental situation.