Carry-over of annual leave

We appreciate that this year has presented real challenges to staff across the organisation around planning and taking of annual leave.  

In part, this has been because lots of people have stepped up to support the response – and the organisation is very grateful for that.  

We are however mindful that to keep you all safe and well in these difficult times, it is essential that you all have sufficient time away from the workplace and would encourage you, with the support of your line managers, to plan and take your annual leave.

There is still sufficient time in the vast majority of cases for you to plan and take all your annual leave before the end of the leave year.

We recognise that some areas of the organisation have been under particular pressure, and this has impacted directly on staff’s ability to take annual leave.  To support those who have been affected by this, we, supported by our Trade Union colleagues, have amended our usual policy in respect of the carry-over of leave, to allow for the carry-over of up to 20 days in some cases. 

It is important to emphasise that this will apply only in certain exceptional situations where it has not been reasonably practicable for staff to take annual leave due to the need to directly support the Covid-19 response.

The carry-over of leave will not be permitted in circumstances where staff simply wish to cancel or postpone annual leave as they are, or have been, unable to use it to go away on holiday etc.

Should you wish to request to carry over some of your leave entitlement from the current leave year into the next two leave years, you will need to complete this application form and return it to your line manager for approval.

All application forms, following approval, should be returned by the line manager to peoplesupport.phw@wales.nhs.uk by Thursday 31 December 2020 so that your leave entitlement for 21/22 can be amended in ESR.

Please note that final sign off of all applications will rest with the appropriate Executive Director.

In the event of any planned leave in February and March 2021 needing to be cancelled due to the need to provide a direct response to COVID, a further request to carry over leave can be made to your line manager.

Please note, carry-over requests for reasons of long term sickness absence or maternity leave are not applied automatically and should also be made via the completion of the application form.