Beechdale Health Centre

Staff Holiday Policy & Holiday Request Form

Document Control

A. Confidentiality Notice

This document and the information contained therein is the property of Beechdale Health Centre.

This document contains information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. It must not be used by, or its contents reproduced or otherwise copied or disclosed without the prior consent in writing from Beechdale Health Centre.

B. Document Details

Classification: / Internal
Author and Role: / Sally Bills- Receptionist
Organisation: / Beechdale Health Centre
Document Reference: / Staff holiday policy
Current Version Number: / 1
Current Document Approved By: / Sally Bills
Date Approved: / 04.12.12

C. Document Revision and Approval History

Version / Date / Version Created By: / Version Approved By: / Comments
1 / 04.12.12 / Sally Bills / Sally Bills / Created from default document
1.1 / 01.04.2014 / Arun Venugopal / Arun Venugopal / Reviewed from Initial Document

Introduction

This policy has been created to provide a framework for accommodating holiday requests, whilst ensuring that staffing levels remain at a level at which a thorough and comprehensive service can be provided, where patient safety, choice and quality of outcomes are never compromised.

The Practice will endeavour, wherever possible, to accommodate the holiday requests of all staff members. However, this may not always be possible due to staffing requirements, previously booked holiday, and sickness absences.

If emergency leave is required by a member of staff, the Practice will try to accommodate this by calling on other staff members to assist.

Policy

·  Your annual holiday entitlement is shown in your individual Statement of Terms & Conditions of Employment;

·  It is our policy to encourage you to take all of your holiday entitlement in the current 2012/2013. We do not permit holidays to be carried forward, unless agreed otherwise at the discretion of the Practice manager (where applicable);

·  To request holiday dates, you should complete a holiday request form and have it signed by your line manager / Practice manager (where applicable) before making any firm holiday arrangements;

·  Holiday requests will only be considered if presented on the correct form and we will allocate agreed holiday dates on a "first come - first served" basis, whilst ensuring that operational efficiency and appropriate staffing levels are maintained throughout the year;

·  You should give at least 4 weeks’ notice of your intention to take holiday of 1 days or more, and 2 week’s notice for shorter breaks of up to 1 day;

·  You may not normally take more than two working weeks consecutively. ((Special dispensation may be made at the discretion of the Practice manager (where applicable); e.g. for an occasion such as a honeymoon));

·  If you need to cancel annual holiday which has already been booked and authorised you are required to give at least 2 weeks’ notice to your line manager or to the Practice manager.

·  Your holiday pay will be at your normal rate unless shown otherwise on your Statement of Terms & Conditions.

Holiday Request Rules by Department (excluding Christmas)

In order that the level of service offered by the Practice is not compromised, the following rules apply to each department:

Receptionists, Medical Secretaries and Nursing Team (excluding Nurse Practitioner)

·  Annual holiday meeting to be held in April each year;

·  At the annual holiday meeting bids can be placed for any period of holiday in the next holiday year of 2013/2014.

·  Bidding will follow the order of rotation of staff members for that year;

·  Bidding is made within each individual team;

·  Only 1 staff member(s) within each team can take holiday leave at any one time. (Ensure requests are made early for holiday to be taken over the summer period);

·  Following the annual holiday meeting, all holiday requests need to be completed on the correct holiday request form and passed to the staff member’s line manager for approval and authorisation.

·  Should there be a clash in dates within any of the teams, priority will be given in order of seniority (grade), then length of service.

Bidding Rules

Round 1 – is for 2 weeks including 1 week during term time and 1 week of non-term time;

Round 2 – is for 2 weeks including 1 week during term time and 1 week of non-term time;

Round 3 – is for 1 week and can be either term time or non-term time;

Round 4 – is for 1 week and can be either term time or non-term time.

·  Swapping of holidays after the holiday meeting is acceptable if staff members are swapping like-for-like (i.e. term time for term time, or non-term time for non-term time). All swaps require the authorisation of the relevant line manager or the Practice manager.

·  Holiday requests for odd days or lieu days should be organised through the relevant line manager or Practice manager (where applicable). Again, only 1 staff member(s) within each team can be off at any one time.

Management

·  As per Receptionists, Medical Secretaries and Nursing Team departments, except:

Ø  For single or odd days of holiday, and in extenuating circumstances only, 1 manager may have the same time off.

Nurse Practitioners

·  Nurse practitioners use the same holiday rota as the doctors. Holiday must be authorised by a partner and the Practice manager must be informed.

Christmas Holiday Request Rules by Department

The Christmas holiday period incorporates the 2 weeks which include Christmas Eve (24th December) & New Years Eve (31st December).

Receptionists, Medical Secretaries and Nursing Team (excluding Nurse Practitioner)

·  Requests for holiday during this period will follow the order of rotation of staff members for that year. 1 staff member from each team will be allowed to be on holiday during the three working days between Christmas and New Year;

·  ***Insert Number*** additional days’ holiday may be taken from your annual entitlement during this period in addition to the statutory public holidays;

·  Staff members not wishing to request holiday entitlement during this period do not have to do so, but if that staff member has priority on the rota for Christmas holiday that year, they will lose that entitlement and return to the back of the list for the following year;

·  The Practice manager will see all members of the reception team, in turn, with their requests for holiday during the Christmas period.

Nurse Practitioners

·  Nurse practitioners use the same Christmas holiday rota as the doctors. Holiday must be authorised by a partner and the Practice manager must be informed.

Management

·  As per Receptionists, Medical Secretaries and Nursing Team departments, except:

Ø  The three working days that fall between Christmas Day and New Year must be covered by 1 manager.

Public / Bank Holidays

The Practice is closed during public / bank holidays. Entitlement to holiday during these days is shown in each staff member’s individual Statement of Terms & Conditions of Employment.

Beechdale Health Centre

Holiday Request Form

Name______

Department______

Holiday entitlement in current year: _____ Days

I wish to take the following holiday. Please deduct this from my annual entitlement.

From : ______

To : ______

Total number of days: ______

Returning to work on: ______

Number of remaining days entitlement: ______

I agree payment for holiday taken but not earned pro-rata in the current holiday year may be deducted from any final payment made to me.

If such payment does not equal this outstanding payment then I agree to reimburse the Practice directly and in equal amount.

Signed: ______

Date: ______

Approved: ______

Date: ______

WHEN APPROVED, PLEASE TAKE THE COMPLETED FORM TO:

The Practice Manager

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