LAST UPDATED MARCH 2024
We recognise the importance of taking annual leave. Annual leave is there for you to use whatever the reason, whether it's for taking time for yourself, attending personal events, going on holiday or handling unexpected situations.
We encourage you to plan and take your leave each year and will endeavour to meet all reasonable requests.
To request annual leave you must log into Charlie HR and book in your required days. The Operations Manager will then log in to approve the request. Annual leave that is longer than two days should be submitted at least one month prior to taking the leave.
Approval will be given on a first come first served basis and providing the proposed dates do not conflict with the interests of the agency, e.g. no leave will be granted over the first working day of the month, during the month of December (before Christmas office closure, see below) and when too many people already have leave booked.
On approval via Charlie HR, your annual leave should be added to your own calendar and our timesheet tracker. Everyone should maintain their own personal record of leave taken to assist with their own personal planning for future leave requests and should spread them throughout the year, unless in exceptional circumstances.
You will not normally be authorised to take more than two weeks consecutive annual leave. If you wish you may carry forward up to three working days annual leave entitlement into the subsequent calendar year (pro-rated for part time employees), however all carried over annual leave will lapse on 31 March of that subsequent calendar year, if it is not used.
You may on occasions be required to work on bank/public holidays, when this occurs an alternative day can be taken in lieu.
Before taking your annual leave, ensure that you leave any handover notes for your team and set your out of office.
Entitlement
The number of days annual leave leave you are entitled to is outlined in your contract of employment and runs from 1st January to 31st December.
If you have just joined us, your annual leave entitlement is an immediate benefit. If you work part-time, the number of days annual leave you are entitled to is prorated according to the number of days you work.
On leaving the agency, where you have taken more or less of your annual entitlement as detailed above, the final salary will be adjusted to either deduct or make an additional payment to reflect the pro rata annual leave entitlement up to the date of leaving the agency.
Christmas Office Closure
Distinctly offices close annually between Christmas and New Year. Annual leave from your allowance should be used across this period. Senior management will confirm how many days leave are required to be taken at the beginning of each calendar year.
Continuous service award
After being employed by Distinctly for three years or more continuously you will be eligible to receive a non-contractual benefit of a further three days annual leave (prorated based on contracted hours), on top of your contractual annual leave.
In the year you reach your three year anniversary, the additional days annual leave will be prorated for that year based on the month of your anniversary. Employees will then receive the full annual leave top up entitlement during the next financial year following their three year anniversary.