How much is too much leave?

[u/nndeeznuts]

Hello everyone!

I (19F) recently started at a 9-5 Office job. Its my first ever 'big girl' job. My jobs pretty low stakes and nothing is ever super urgent tbh. I have been taking leave what I'd say evens out to be about a day a month.

My past couple months have looked like this:
August - 3 days off (went out of town) September : finished 3 hours early one day October: One half day off November: One half day off , One full Day off December: (To be booked) 1 day off.

I'm getting nervous about booking the December day off. I have over enough leave for it, and no one has ever mentioned having a problem with the amount of leave I'm taking - I'm just nervous there is some kind of office etiquette I'm not aware of? I'm curious to know your thoughts :)

[u/istari-illuin]

Thats nothing. 😭

Most places like you to take your leave as its considered debt on their books. Too much leave and they make you take it.

Ask your boss about christmas they might even do a 2 week shutdown where you won't have a choice.

P.s congrats on your big girl office job. 🥰🎉

[u/WarrenRT → u/istari-illuin]

Ask your boss about christmas they might even do a 2 week shutdown where you won't have a choice.

Yeah, this would be my only concern for OP - she's only started the job "recently" and is using her leave about as fast as she accrues it (total of 5 days off during August - December; during that period she would have earned ~8 days).

If her workplace does have a long Xmas shutdown, she might not have the leave to cover it, and some places get a bit weird about letting you take leave in advance.

[u/bartkurcher → u/WarrenRT]

I’ve run into this situation, if they’ve don’t have enough days to cover it, it’s just unpaid. Plus minus Stat days, there’s only 3 days this year between Dec 24 and jan 5 with her work pattern

[u/nedkelly08 → u/bartkurcher]

That really depends on the company, some will allow you to go into negative hours for AL

[u/Disastrous-Quail8012 → u/istari-illuin]

Definitely this, I spend more time encouraging leave for staff who have let it accumulate. Also taking short breaks is often way easier to manage than extended month long breaks.

[u/Hubris2]

Take the leave you have accrued - everyone is going to take the same number of days. Don't worry about it - your boss will tell you if the timing is a concern.

[u/Farrkurusername → u/Hubris2]

You aren't entitled to take "accrued" leave unless your employer actually agrees to it. They are only entitled to take their anniversary entitlement which until the law changes, they don't have annual leave until the 12 month mark.

[u/normalmighty → u/Farrkurusername]

Huh, TIL. I was about to reply about how that had been changed a couple of months back, but apparently the law change doesn't come into effect until August 2028

[u/KahuTheKiwi → u/Hubris2]

Further to you being entitled to it you taking leave can save your boss money.

In a permanent role leave is paid at your current rate of pay. All leave you consume before your next pay rise is leave that your boss pays at today's lower rate, not tomorrow's higher.

[u/Barbed_Dildo → u/KahuTheKiwi]

National have changed that, but it isn't in force yet

https://www.mbie.govt.nz/business-and-employment/employment-and-skills/employment-legislation-reviews/holidays-act-reform-employment-leave-act

[u/billy_joule → u/Barbed_Dildo]

Do you mean that leave earned before a pay rise is paid at the old lower rate when taken after the pay rise?

I don't see that on the mbie page.

[u/Leslie__Knope]

Every Corporate job I’ve been in I’ve been told off for hoarding leave 😂

[u/DontEatThePorridge → u/Leslie__Knope]

Exactly this because it's a liability to the company. We had a manager who never took leave, leave the company recently and the payout of their holiday pay was eye watering. Plus health and safety and all that.

[u/revolutn]

If you have leave and want to take it, apply to take it.

It's literally what it's there for.

If your manager has a problem with the particular days you're applying for they'll let you know.

Keep in mind there are forced days off across christmas / new years so if you don't have enough leave you may go into arrears or not be paid depending on company policy.

[u/Civil-Doughnut-2503]

If u can do it then do it. If you are getting paid and they are ok with it do it. Not everyone takes weeks/months off to holiday.

[u/Medium-Pilot6872]

You know you are a human that has every right to experience their own life and don’t have to be a slave to the system right?

Also, this is nothing.

Who gives a fuck, take the leave you want if you don’t mind the lack of pay. (I’m just assuming you’re currently using unpaid leave).

[u/Bealzebubbles]

I'm getting nervous about booking the December day off. I have over enough leave for it, and no one has ever mentioned having a problem with the amount of leave I'm taking - I'm just nervous there is some kind of office etiquette I'm not aware of? I'm curious to know your thoughts :)

I'm not sure what your workplace is like, but December is a quiet time for a lot of corporates. It's not like retail where it's all hands on deck. Talk to your manager if you're not sure. They'll probably have no issues with you taking that leave in December.

[u/Entitled_Snowman]

My husband was complaining about a new person who started 5 weeks ago and has been “sick” for 3 of those weeks.

As people have said you can get told off for having too much leave. Your manager will say something if they think you’re taking too much time off but honestly that all sounds pretty reasonable!

Side note, my second day in a new job I had to tell them I had to take Thursday and Friday off that week because my nana died that exact same day. Sometimes life happens!

[u/kiwifarmdog]

A good employer understands that leave entitlements are a right for all employees, and they have to use said leave at some point.

The way you’re taking it is actually best case scenario for most employers. Regular short stints means you’re not accumulating massive amounts that are sitting on their books as a debt, and are easier to deal with than long 1-2+ week stints that can be disruptive to the business.

[u/dj_tommyg]

You accrue roughly 1.7 days of leave each month so taking a day a month on average still means you're accruing leave anyway. Shouldn't be an issue

[u/petoburn → u/dj_tommyg]

That’s a grim way of putting it, and explains why I’m always in the negative!

[u/YamSea6298]

Trust that as a manager a staff member who proactively takes their leave, is a relief to have!

You're entitled to your 20 days a year, take the and don't worry about it!

[u/normalmighty]

Talk to your boss about this if you are nervous about it and they can assure you better than internet strangers, but leave is there to use.

The only thing to look out for is that most offices have a shutdown period for a couple of weeks around Christmas, and while there are a bunch of holidays in there, the handful of non-holiday shutdown days will come out of your annual leave. So if you don't have enough leave to cover it you can go into the negatives and be stuck waiting a while before you can take more time off.

Once again though, your line manager should be able to tell you much more detail about how it'll work out in your specific workplace.

[u/standgale]

Most businesses would rather you take your leave than not, because otherwise it is a debt they have to pay out if you leave. 

If there was a big problem with the timing of your leave they would mention it and not approve it.

[u/RobDickinson]

Saving leave causes financial issues for companies, they would much rather you spend it

[u/Lancestrike]

Leaves yours, what you do with it isn't the employers concern and tbh, nobody really cares enough about the job to think about how you use leave. (in the nicest way possible)

Assuming you aren't dropping it last minute or in a peak period, it should be signed off without much of an eyelid bat.

[u/Prestigious-Good-777]

I sometimes take 6 weeks off. A few days here and there is no Biggie - book it and enjoy yourself!

[u/Southern_String5840]

Please don’t ever feel bad about booking time off. It’s legally owed to you, you earned it, and as others have said the business needs you to take it. Edit: you booking leave is you telling the company that you won’t be available on those dates. You’re not asking permission.

[u/UntilOlympiusReturns]

As well as a possible Christmas shutdown, some workplaces encourage or require you to take at least one big chunk of leave a year, maybe a week minimum. This is so you have a chance to take a proper break.

But in general I agree with everyone that you should be fine, just check in with your manager.

[u/MosesBeacon]

Take your leave and don't feel bad, you're entitled to it and they will let you know if there's any scheduling issues. Only problem could be that some workplaces are stricter around Christmas, such as not getting leave over the period in your first year. If you're in an office though I imagine you'll be closed for holidays. Once I worked somewhere for 4 years and when I left had 11 weeks of leave paid out. It's not worth it.

[u/HairyMacLeary]

Are you accruing enough leave to cover you for the mandatory Xmas shutdown in addition to what you’re already taking?

They’ll probably let you go almost negative and then complain when you don’t have enough for Xmas.

We have to take 11 days leave (either paid if we have it, unpaid if we don’t, or purchased in advance). The point is, if you’re shutting down over that break, you’ll have to use leave if you expect money.

[u/dashingtomars]

You're employer should expect you to take 4 weeks/20 days a year. I usually also take some unpaid leave that takes me up to 6 weeks.

[u/bartkurcher]

No don’t be nervous! You have to take 4weeks per year. As someone who manages the payroll, I would much rather someone take a few days per month over racking up weeks of leave and me basically forcing them to take huge chunks at once. Which affects other jobs.

Anywho, you’re just assuming it’s a lot but if no ones saying anything 1day/month is only 12/20 annual days per year. So take more!

[u/Salami_sub]

Threads like this remind me how good it is not to be micromanaged

[u/4starTitann]

The only thing you need to worry about is providing your boss with enough notice time so they can ensure that the schedule still works and the remaining people can cover the work. If too many people take leave at the same time, some businesses might ask you to change it. As a rough rule of thumb, about a week or two in advance per day you want to take off, but this might depend on your line of work.

The leave you accrue is your compensation. Just like being paid money, it is yours to do with however you like, so don't feel guilty about using it. Spend it all at once, or sprinkle it over the year. The only thing to be aware of is that businesses might demand that you don't accumulate more than a year's worth of leave (in which case they will force you to take some time off) and that some businesses can force you to take leave over chrismas-new years period.

[u/erinllouise]

Congrats on the job! Don’t stress about this at all. As long as you are giving the required amount of time for notice (might be in your contract?) absolutely nothing to stress over.

You might want to check if you have a holiday shutdown period though over Xmas and new years (usually 2 weeks, around 6 days AL for most places) if your AL balance does worry you. Most companies allow you to go into negative (up to a certain amount, and then you just accrue it back) if this is mandatory.

[u/BasementCatBill]

If your employer is comfortable with you taking leave, then they'll want you to take it.

Accumulated annual leave is a debit on the employer's books. A debt they owe to pay.

(If you're in the civil service, this is why your employer is urging you to take leave, to get that debit balance lower for next year's budget.)

[u/Evening_Ticket7638]

What kind of leave? If it's unplanned (sick or domestic) then 1 a month is too much. Remember you only get 10 a year. At this rate you'll have 2 months where you'll have to go unpaid if you're sick.

If you mean annual leave or day in lieu then that's all good. It's like money in the bank and the business will owe you it when you leave. It will better for them and you if you keep using it.

[u/ElSalvo]

That's nothing lol. Most places get annoyed if you have too much leave so taking time off when you want is fine. Speaking of which, how the hell do I have 30 days on the books? Maybe it's because I've taken more sick leave this year because my immune system is trying to kill me. Thanks bro.

[u/Front-Salamander-100]

No one has said anything to you so I don't see why this would be a problem. As long as your leave balance doesn't go negative.

[u/DesirableTrain]

At my place, every six months, they like it brought down to 20 hours, in July and December. Shows that you are actually using it, and also so the company doesn't have to do a massive payout if you leave.

[u/Medical-Isopod2107]

As long as you have leave owing, you're fine. Account for any shut-down period in summer though if your job has one.

[u/Indigo_Laguna]

I have asked those on my team to take all the leave they are granted because it's poor mental health not to. Leave exists to be used up. The only office etiquette is putting in the leave request as soon as possible to make life easier for scheduling and approval.

Congratulations on your big girl office job. I applaud your goal to be a diligent worker.

[u/snatchview]

If you have the leave balance then it’s all good to use it.

If you get to more than about 20 days balance then HR will push you to book leave.

Your manager will ensure team can cover you being away.

Two weeks off is not uncommon, some people take 4 weeks off.

[u/Downtown-Bit4110]

Be careful taking “accrued” leave, your employer will claw this back from your final pay if you decide to leave before your entitlement is due. 

Or you’ll receive less than your entitlement and have fewer leave to use for the next year (and you’ll end up using accrued leave again). 

[u/KanukaDouble]

OP you don’t actually have any annual leave yet .

You get your first entitlement to annual leave on your 12 month anniversary.
Before that, your employer is granting you ‘Annual Leave in advance of entitlement’

Most employers like a weeks worth of annual leave minimum when you get to your 12 month anniversary, but are happy to let you take the other 3 weeks in advance. Unless there is a periodic shutdown at Christmas.

If your employer is happy approving your leave, don’t worry about it. Taking a day each month will still get you ahead at the end of the year, so don’t stress it.

[u/Farrkurusername]

If you've only just started, you aren't actually entitled to take any leave so your employer can decline it as you won't have entitled annual leave yet. All you're doing is continuously running a deficit this way.

[u/Bealzebubbles → u/Farrkurusername]

Most corporates let you take leave from day one, despite the law saying that they don't have to let employees take it. It helps both parties. Employees can take leave throughout their first year and the company doesn't get the shock of suddenly owing an employee four weeks leave after their first year.

[u/Prestigious-Emu5050]

This is fine. Don’t feel guilty for using your accrued leave - you worked for it.

Also most places don’t like you to have more than about 4 weeks of leave built up and will force you to use it if you have too much

[u/0plm9okn8ijb7]

Annual leave is fine. It's planned and they can decline it if they're short staffed. Sick leave however, is a different story.

[u/Head_Acadia_2658]

You need to read your own contract

[u/Zestyclose-Ad-9478]

Before this week I had over 659 hours and 27 stat days

[u/redmandolin]

It really depends on your workplace. I’m like -160hrs and it’s fine.

[u/FKFnz]

You'll be fine. Payroll/Accounting/Management types like it when you keep your leave under control - it's a negative on the company books to have huge outstanding leave balances. (coming from me, with 10+ weeks outstanding...)

[u/Sea_Yogurtcloset48]

Keep taking it like this. It’s good when staff take regular leave for multiple reasons - keeps their balance low so the debt to the org is less (meaning if you leave and have say all 4 weeks saved up they have to pay you out all that $$ in one go, vs. giving you a day here and there). It also shows that you are looking after your wellbeing by taking regular days off to do non-work stuff. And it is way easier to deal with a person off a few random days here and there rather than having them take full weeks at a time where you have to actually think about who will cover their work. If they have a problem with it they’ll let you know and/or stop approving your leave requests. Definitely talk to them about December now though as they may have a shut down where you have to take x number of days as annual leave and you don’t want to not have enough to cover it.

[u/Subwaynzz]

Depends how long you’ve been there. Have you literally just started there? Or have you been there a year or longer?