Annual Leave Arrangements for 2025/26

Frequently Asked Questions

16 December 2024 - updated 14 January 2025

 

Am I able to carry over annual leave into 2025/26?

The Trust is applying the ‘carry over’ policy in full this year in order to support the delivery of our Epic EPR programme across the Trust. This means that staff may only carry over up to five days’ annual leave into 2025/26 if they have exceptional circumstances such as sickness, maternity leave or other special leave arrangements. 

Please see the  How to Guides - Annual leave and General Public holiday entitlement - non medical staff - Toolkit.pdf - All Documents section 4.8 on the Intranet for details.

 

How do I apply to carry over annual leave?

You must have applied for carry over by 31 January 2025 in writing (email or written note) to your line manager. Once you have made the request, your line manager will seek the required authorisation and then confirm whether your request is approved or declined. Please see  flowchart which explains the process at the end of this FAQ.  Please note, the date for application has been bought forward to allow those whose requests have been declined time to take their leave before the end of March 2025.

If you are carrying over annual leave due to maternity leave, adoption leave or shared parental leave you do not need to apply if you are off on/over 31st Mach as your annual leave will automatically be transferred over.  If you returned prior to 31st March you will need to apply as above.

 

I have been on sick leave, can I carry over annual leave?

If you are on long term sickness on 31 March 2025 and have not been able to take all your annual leave, then your leave will be carried over automatically.

If you have returned from long term sick leave as at 31 March 2025 but have had a period of long term sickness (of over 4 weeks) during 2024/25, and there is a reason why you have not been able to take your annual leave before 31 March 2025, then you will need to apply to have your annual leave carried over.

 

(For all staff except medical staff) When will the annual leave I carried over be shown on Healthroster?

Healthroster should show this in early April 2025.

 

Am I able to carry over bank holidays?

No, bank holidays cannot be carried over from one leave year into another

I am a consultant and have a different leave year, will I be able to carry over annual leave?

For our consultants, your leave year runs from the date you started with the Trust. The same principles of carry-over of annual leave into your next leave year will apply as detailed above.

If you are unsure when your leave year runs from and to each year, please check with your department.

 

(For medical staff) When will the annual leave I carried over be shown on Medirota

If you request to carry over leave has been approved, the rota co-ordinator will ensure Medirota is updated within a couple of weeks of the request being approved.

 

What is the extended holiday scheme?

This is a scheme which enables you to ‘bank’ a maximum of five days annual leave per year and to take up to 25 days annual leave in one go in the future, in agreement with your line manager. Further information about the scheme, along with the process for applying is outlined in the How to Guides - Annual Leave Toolkit v 2.0.pdf - All Documents from p7 on the Intranet for details.

Is there a restriction on when I can take annual leave during 2025/26?

 

In order to support the delivery of Epic EPR training for all staff, colleagues will only be permitted to take a maximum of two weeks' at a time between 31 July and 31 October next year. You may be able to take more than one period of leave during this time if agreed by your line manager. This will enable teams to plan safe staffing levels more easily whilst also releasing colleagues to undertake their training. Any extended periods of leave that have been agreed up to 1 November 2024 will be honoured.

 

 

Not related to the Carry Over of Annual Leave arrangements but to note:

 

If an employee has taken more annual leave for 2024/25 (i.e. there are in deficit) what happens?

Annual leave for the next leave year cannot be bought forward into the current leave year. There may be a small number of employees who are in annual leave deficit e.g. they reduced their contracted hours during the year and had already taken their full leave entitlement for their original contracted hours.  The Rostering team will work with the staff member and manager to bring the balance back to zero, by the individual either paying back the leave deficit through their salary or converting some of the overtaken leave to time off in lieu (TOIL) and working the hours back.