Rolled up holidays

[kevin wooldridge]

I still don't get it. I may be dumb, or misunderstanding - my head is full of contexts and arguments for more money.............

Is the issue freedom of choice? As for us with contracts still have to ask to take a particular day/week off, the company still has to function, can't have everyone off on the same week if you wanna keep that competitive edge. But as I work for a reasonable company there's never been much of an issue.

Maybe there's an (non-too specific) example of excessive unreasonable enforcement of holiday rolling up that would help me understand the issue?

The Working Time Directive which proscribes rolled-up holiday pay, is primarilly a Health and Safety directive. Its reasoning behind the limit of a 48 hour week is that to work longer hours on a continuous basis is harmful to health and the consequences of tiredness and stress related ailments caused through overwork, are potential hazards in day to day work activities.

Its reasoning on rolled-up holiday pay, particularly with contract staff, is that there might be circumstances where employees would work on consecutive contiguous contracts with rolled-up holiday pay and therefore taking no time off and therefore becoming a H&S hazard both to themself and colleagues. I think their logic is indisputable (a number of respondents to this thread for example seem to be confirming that there is a an attitude that would rather take the money than the break) ....

Is the issue freedom of choice? I guess to a certain extent 'Yes'. If it were possible to have rolled-up holiday pay and for individuals to demonstrate they were rested and didn't present a potential H&S risk i.e that they had taken unpaid time off between contracts, then rolled-up holiday pay might be workable. But unless there was some kind of 'proof of evidence' e.g a human tachiometer, I don't see how any employer could cover themself for the potential consequences if a H&S problem arose. So in reality the answer has to be 'NO'....its just one of those 'burdensome' rules folk have to follow for the general greater good of society at large.