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Carryover of annual leave

Published on July 18, 2022

Last update on March 20, 2023

To submit an application, you can log into HR self-service.

Carrying over annual leave should be uncommon. Managers should ensure that employees take their full leave entitlement each year. In cases where work requirements mean it is not possible to grant leave at a particular time, managers can allow employees to carry over any untaken leave under certain conditions.

You can only carry forward untaken annual leave for two consecutive years subject to the following conditions:

You must discuss your remaining annual leave with your line manager in sufficient time before the end of the leave year to enable you to take that leave during the current year, provided it is granted. And, the manager’s refusal to grant leave must only be due to the requirements of official work.

Staff On Cycle Year 1 or Cycle Year 2:

  • You should agree with your manager that you can carry over leave which cannot be taken due to business requirements
  • Leave will carry over automatically
  • No further action is needed.

Staff on Cycle Year 3:

Carryover from Cycle Year 3 into the subsequent Year 1 is restricted to only that which remains of the leave accrued in Year 3.

Any leave remaining from that carried into Year 3 will be forfeit at the end of the year if it has not been taken.

If you have leave remaining from that accrued in Year 3 and you wish to carry over, you must:

  • Discuss and agree this carryover with their line manager before the end of the leave year
  • Apply to carry over the leave through the HR portal
  • You must complete applications to carry over leave from year 3 to year 1 according to the provisions of Annual Leave Circular 27/2003

Year 3 Carryover Exceptions

Exceptions to the restrictions of carryover in Year 3 only apply to:

  • Officers who were on Maternity Leave during Year 3
  • Officers who were on extended sick leave, where 28 or more consecutive days of the sick leave occurred within the final 6 months of Year 3.

Exceptions to Year 3 carry over rules do not apply under any circumstances other than those outlined above. Neither line managers nor HR departments have discretion to approve carry over at the end of Year 3 for business reasons.