What is a 'rolling year'?

[k8bailey]

Could someone please explain to me what a 'rolling year' is?

My employer, a college, allows me a certain amout of paid time off for things such as looking after my child if she's ill . My contract is only ever for one year at a time, ending on August 31st.
My daughter was ill on October 5th, but my employer refuses to pay me for this day, stating that I've already had the maximum amount of paid leave, as they operate a rolling year. This is the only day I've had off whilst under my current contract.

Do they mean calendar year, as opposed to academic year?

[sara3]

no, it's a year back from today.. and then tomorrow it'll be a year back from tomorrow.

so if you were off on 19th Oct 2008, that would be within the last rolling year, but it will "drop off" tomorrow, the 20th.

sorry, I hope that makes sense!

[JB]

They are basically counting from Oct 6th last year for the rolling year. Have you used up your allowance for looking after your child during this time?

[k8bailey]

Oh I see, thanks!! :)

[k8bailey]

Sorry JB didn't see your reply - yes I had time off in January, thought that since my new contract started in August, I'd have a new paid leave allowance, silly me!

[JB]

Your holiday leave probably runs from Aug, but personal days and sickness days are more than likely rolling. Keep a diary though, so you know exactly where you are!

[Canary42]

This could be a bit of a grey area - and would probably need challenging in a court of law to get a satisfactory answer. It would seem to me that the fact that the Company operate a rolling year is irrelevant, as your contract is a yearly one with its own definition of a year, and therefore your own original interpretation is correct. I fail to see how the company can reasonably count time PRIOR to your current contract as of any relevance whatever to this contract - but I'm sure the lawyers would have a lovely time (at your and the Company's expense) arguing about it. I guess it all comes down to the wording of the contract - but this may not be sufficiently tight to decide one way or the other.

[buildersmate]

Yes, I agree with that, Canary - very dodgy interpretation for the reason you stated.
Employer can't have it two ways - if it wants to give you a temporary contract, then I don't reckon it is right that parts of the benefits under that contract are calculated as if you were continuously employed.
For example, most employers provide for additional leave after say 5 years service. Are you entitled to such a benefit? (irrespective of whether you yet earned the right to it). If not, you might like to remind them of this, and suggest that they reconsider there approach. However, not worth taking it legally further if they still say no, I suspect.
It depends how much you are prepared to try upsetting the applecart.

[k8bailey]

hmmm, I think I'll have to have a chat with personnel about this, as my daughter attends the nursery which is part of the college, if she takes a day off sick I still pay the full fee, regardless of if I'm being paid or not, so It'll cost me a fortune if I'm only allowed 1.5 days of paid leave in a rolling year.

My job is term time only, so I don't get any hoidays.