Flexible and end-of-year holiday policies
Contents:
- Festive season leave policy
- Carry-over leave policy
- Bring-forward leave policy
- Flexible bank holidays policy
Summary of policies
| Policy | Description |
|---|---|
| Festive Season Leave | Encourages leave between 23 Dec - 1 Jan, with pre-agreed tasks for those working. |
| Carry-Over Leave | Allows up to 5 unused leave days to be carried into the next year. |
| Bring-Forward Leave | Allows borrowing up to 5 days from the next year’s leave entitlement. |
| Flexible Bank Holidays | Enables working on a bank holiday and taking a day off within 3 months. |
1. Festive season leave policy
Overview:
- To promote rest and well-being, all OET staff are encouraged to take extended leave during the festive season between 23 December 2024 and 1 January 2025.
- This period is not compulsory, and staff may choose to work during these dates.
- Due to high anticipated absence, tasks and deliverables for this time should be:
- Agreed in detail and in advance with Project Leads and/or direct reports.
- Documented clearly to ensure seamless workflows.
2. Carry-over leave policy
What is it?
The Carry-Over Leave Policy allows staff to transfer unused leave days from the current calendar year into the next year, under specific conditions.
Key points:
- Staff are strongly encouraged to use their annual leave entitlement within the current year.
- However, up to 1 day for each month you have been with OET (maximum of 5 days) can be carried over.
- Example:
- If you’ve been with OET for 6 months, you can carry over up to 5 days.
- If you’ve been with OET for 3 months, you can carry over 3 days.
Process for carrying over leave:
- Send an email to the Operations team requesting the carry-over of leave days.
- The request should specify:
- Number of days to carry over.
- Confirmation that this leave has been discussed and agreed upon with your Project Lead.
- The Operations team will manually track transferred leave days.
- These days must be used within the following year and cannot be carried over multiple times.
Important note: Carry-over requests cannot be made through Remote.com, as the platform does not support leave transfers.
3. Bring-forward leave policy
What is it?
The Bring-Forward Leave Policy allows staff to borrow leave days from the following calendar year to use in the current year.
Key points:
- Up to 1 day for each month you have been with OET (maximum of 5 days) can be brought forward.
- Example:
- If you’ve been with OET for 6 months, you can bring forward up to 5 days.
- If you’ve been with OET for 3 months, you can bring forward 3 days.
- Borrowed days will be deducted from your total leave entitlement for the following year.
Process for bringing forward leave:
- Send an email to the Operations team requesting the bring-forward of leave days.
- The request should specify:
- Number of days to bring forward.
- Confirmation that this leave has been discussed and agreed upon with your Project Lead.
- The Operations team will manually track borrowed leave days and adjust your leave balance for the following year.
Important note: Bring-forward requests cannot be made through Remote.com.
4. Flexible bank holidays policy
What is it?
The Flexible Bank Holidays Policy allows staff to work on a bank holiday and take that day off later within a specified timeframe.
Key points:
- Staff may choose to work during bank holidays, provided this is:
- Communicated and agreed in advance with your Project Lead.
- Tasks and deliverables for the day are planned and confirmed ahead of time.
- The bank holiday must be “exchanged” for another day off within 3 months following the bank holiday.
Process for flexible bank holidays:
- Discuss and agree on your plan to work during the bank holiday with your Project Lead.
- Send an email to the Operations team with:
- The date of the bank holiday you are working.
- The date you plan to take as your flexible day off.
- The Operations team will manually track these changes to ensure accurate leave records.