Hi All,
I’m after some input from my fellow Monzo friends. I’m looking at improving the current unpaid leave policy at my work and would like input from anyone that wishes to contribute. If you have a statement in your company that clearly defines what unpaid leave is to cover that would be great. Also any comments on whether it should only include emergencies whereby the user doesn’t have any holiday to take or if it could/should be used to extend a holiday? I don’t know the right answer, I’d just like some input. Also, do you all call it Unpaid Leave in your work placement? Is it called something else?
I guess it depends what the leave is for. Right now I get:
- 34 days annual leave
- Bank holidays
- Days between Christmas and New Year
- Paternity/adoption leave
- Sick leave
- 3 days volunteering leave
- Research leave
Anything else would, I guess, fall under this:
But it’s not really defined.
What sort of business are you involved in? Although I think a very permissive policy is best – that is you should trust your employees and if they feel it necessary to take a day off then they should be able to without any need for justification – it depends very much on the business and employees: if it’s a business with low wages and high turnover you’re much more constrained with what is viable vs. a low turnover high skill business.
At my current job – low turnover, high skill – there are no restrictions: if somebody needs to take time out for a family emergency, sickness or they just aren’t feeling able to work, they can do so. There are soft limits in that if someone were to be seen to be abusing the freedom there’d be formal conversations but as far as I know that is very uncommon.
I think ultimately the question to ask is “how can the company best serve the wellbeing of employees while maintaining viability as a business?”. The answer is most likely erring on the side of permissive, because turnover is often a lot more costly than having an employee who is out a little more than you would like. Afterall, most people leave jobs because of management, not because of the job itself: anything you can do to maximise loyalty from employees will pay dividends. That said if you’re in a business where one employee calling out means another has to be called in unscheduled then you have a duty to the unscheduled employees too and it may be the case that you have to be restrictive.
I get 35 days annual leave inc all bank holidays and the days in between Xmas, we have also had additional lieu days add around Xmas just because. If we have any parties e.g. Summer ball we get the next day off.Also Paternity leave, Sick leave and death leave.
Can carry over unused holidays in to the new year, work from home whenever, If I need to go to Dr i can just go without having to take time off.
I pretty much have free reign as long as I don’t take the piss.