MVDC Flexible Annual Leave Scheme

MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL

Flexible Annual Leave Policy

Introduction

The Council wants to help you strike a good balance between work and home life. One of the ways that we can do that is through a flexible annual leave scheme that gives you the opportunity to request to buy or sell annual leave subject to certain conditions. Requests to buy or sell leave will be authorised where reasonably practicable

How the flexible annual leave scheme works

Each year you will have the opportunity to submit a request to buy or sell up to five days leave (pro-rata for part time staff).

The Council’s annual leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Authorised requests to buy leave must be received by the Payroll Manager before 31 May. Authorised requests to sell leave must be made by 6 January in the leave year and received by the Payroll Manager before 10 March in order that payment can be included in the March salary.

In exceptional circumstances an application to buy or sell leave may be made mid year.

The arrangements do not relate to accrued time off in lieu or flexi-time.

Buying annual leave

This is in effect unpaid leave but the cost of the additional leave will be met from equal deductions from your salary during the leave year. The purchase of additional leave is subject to the following conditions:

 The total amount of leave bought plus the leave carried forward from the current year should not exceed five days  You must complete the request form in full in order that the deduction can be made from your salary payments  One day’s annual leave is 1/261 ths of annual salary (pro rata for part time staff)  Pension contributions and sick leave payments are based on normal full salary (not the reduced salary after the adjustment has been made)  If working arrangements change during the year, for example you receive a pay increase, the monthly deduction will remain unchanged.  The Council reserves the right to refuse an application to buy annual leave because of operational or budgetary reasons relating to your job

Selling annual leave

The sale of annual leave is subject to the following conditions:

 The maximum leave you can apply to sell is five days (pro-rata for part time staff)  You must have taken 20 days entitlement in full (excluding bank holidays) during the leave year  You must not have taken more than five days sick leave during the twelve months prior to the date of your application  Payment for the amount of leave sold can be made as a lump sum payment.  The amount paid for the leave sold will be subject to tax and national insurance contributions.  Pension contributions and payment for sickness absence is based on normal full salary (not the enhanced salary after the adjustment has been made)  The Council reserves the right to refuse an application to sell annual leave because of operational or budgetary reasons relating to your job.

Making an application

To take advantage of the scheme please complete the appropriate application form which is available on the Council’s intranet or from the HR department. Once completed the form should be sent to your Corporate Head of Service for consideration before being forwarded to the Payroll Manager

Any queries about the flexible annual leave scheme please contact a member of the HR department.

Flexible annual leave scheme – Jane misc (updated December 2009)