Lieu days

[Spender]

Can I be told when to take my Lieu day or is it up to me when I take it?

[SlackAlice]

Depends on your Contract of Employment, suggest you contact your HR dept.

[dotty.]

You can request days I suppose, it will probably mention something about needs of the business in your handbook

[Maydup]

It probably depends on the wording in your contract, but it is possible for all holiday and lieu time to be designated by the employer. In our contracts holiday is taken with approval of the manager and around Easter and Christmas the people working the Bank Hols are sometimes allocated their lieu days in the following week to a) get them used up and b) give the people a break after working Easter.

[pink-kittens]

An alternative (lieu day) holiday must:
be taken by the employee on a day that is agreed between the employer and employee
be a day that would otherwise be a working day for the employee
be a whole working day off work for the employee, regardless of the amount of time the employee actually worked on the public holiday.
not be taken on a public holiday
The alternative holiday can be taken at any time mutually agreeable to the employer and employee, and is paid at the employee's relevant daily pay, or average daily pay (where applicable), for the day taken off.

If an employer and employee cannot agree when an alternative holiday is to be taken, the employer may determine when it is to be taken.

So basically, yes but if you can't agree with your boss then tough titty, s/he can choose it for you

[Maydup]

If that's what it says in the contract of employment pink-k,
but it could just say otherwise.

[Spender]

The thing is that I have to work good Friday which I don't mind But I am being forced to take my lieu day tomorrow the day before the good Friday.

[Maydup]

The practise does vary from company to compand and many do what yours have done to ensure you still only work your set hours this week. Did you query it or check with the HR dept?

[Spender]

I was unable to check with my HR as I was phoned up at home after work and told I was off tomorrow, he also said that if I go into work tomorrow I will not get paid.

[dotty.]

who told you that? Sorry that does not sound quite right, there should be an amount of notice for a change of day off unless it is an emergency, and guess what, it was always going to be good friday this week

[Spender]

Dotty, I was phoned up by my manager at home and told I am off tomorrow, To use my Lieu day for working Good Friday.

[Maydup]

Not good, put in a grievence.

[dotty.]

nope that is not acceptable, they have put you in an awkward situation by doing that, the manager must have had a serious staffing issue to have to a) ring you up on your day off and b) change your rota at such unacceptable short notice, are you working Easter Monday?

[Spender]

No Dotty we are closed that day, I will be putting in a grievence when I am back on friday. I was saving that lieu day for my daughter.

[dotty.]

It is also not acceptable from a management point of view to make staff take their lieu day before they have actually worked it, if for any reason you are unable to go to work on Friday then there will be a further issue

[pink-kittens]

Taking a lieu day before it is earned is definitely not good practice
Less than 24 hours notice is not good practice either
If you have a copy of your staff handbook and/or contract it perhaps says something in them to answer your question
I think you are right to raise a grievance so GL!

[Spender]

Thank Pink Kittens, I have read the Hand book from cover to cover and there is no mention of lieu days at all. Have just been on to my HR manager and the answer I got was basically the mangers can do what he wants.

[Twenty20]

Raising a grievance is part of a legal, formal procedure. Why not try having a word with your boss first to air your feelings and see what he/she says?

I'm not saying don't do it but sometimes a quiet word works best. If you still feel you want to raise a grievance afterwards then do it but to jump straight in with a grievance may be a bit hasty when you don't necessarily know the reasoning behind this.

[pink-kittens]

You're welcome

Have you called ACAS? They can help with the finer details most likely over the phone
Again, GL =)

[boxtops]

Has your employer got an annual leave policy (which may be separate from the staff handbook)? Our AL policy has a section about days in lieu - they certainly can't be taken until they have been earned - it's OK for them to owe me a day, but not for me to owe them a working day.

[Spender]

@ Pink Kittens. I phone ACSA and they said there is no set law on Lieu Days but it's good company policy to give you double the notice to the time you want off, I he should have given me 2 days notice. I have put all the conversation in a letter which is on its way to his boss.