Holiday enforcement?

[Moscow Mule]

Er, dont know what 'financial' companies you've worked for but I've worked for Barclays, Norther Rock and Bank of America (twice). Im coming up to 2 years with BoA.

I've never been asked to take any leave in any contract role, nor would I. Complying with their 'directive' could be argued to be a pointer of employment and hence IR35.

Deffo tell them sorry, Im not a permie and take leave as and when my co decides, not you.

IIRC it's an FSA requirement. Whether you're monitored as contract staff is another matter.

[Cowboy Bob]

IIRC it's an FSA requirement. Whether you're monitored as contract staff is another matter.

As with BolshieBastard, I've worked for several banks as well and I've never come across this, therefore I doubt if it's an FSA requirement. I don't doubt that you may have been told that by your client at one time or other though.

One company has no right to tell another company's employees when to take their holiday. But on the other hand they can, of course, just say that there's no work for the next ten days and not to bother coming in.

[Moscow Mule]

As with BolshieBastard, I've worked for several banks as well and I've never come across this, therefore I doubt if it's an FSA requirement. I don't doubt that you may have been told that by your client at one time or other though.

One company has no right to tell another company's employees when to take their holiday. But on the other hand they can, of course, just say that there's no work for the next ten days and not to bother coming in.

It's enforced for permies at HBOS. They only half-heartedly enforced it for contractors.

Nobody else has given a toss.

[fiddlesticks]

Thanks for the replies so far.

It's not an FSA requirement (at least not yet), but it was triggered by the SocGen debacle and I don't think it's something they're taking lightly. IIRC they've said they'll check door entry to verify compliance. Slightly Big Brother, but that's the neature of the beast in this case.

I'm thinking I'll just put it off until later in the year, after my current contract runs out. I'll have been there 18 months by then and it's probably time to move on anyway.

As moorfield mentions, we're also facing an invoicing cap this year due to one of my colleagues taking almost zero holiday and working 50% of the weekends last year. The CIO asked the department to reemburse the funds...

[tay]

The point is that it is not bulltulip and his client contact is probably getting heat, and if the OP decides to make an issue of it, then thats cool, but he needs to be prepared for the possible reprecussions... and in this market it might be easier just to take a couple of weeks off.... or hope the manager forgets. Getting assy definately is a risky prospect.

[Gonzo]

Two-weeks continuous absence was not a requirement at my current (fund manager) client until recently, although when they found that out several of the managers couldn't believe that it wasn't already mandatory.

Non-US banks have not tended to be so strict in the past.

It was a requirement at my last permie job (an american bank) to take two weeks continous leave, even though I never went near any money or even any production systems.

Monsieur Kerviel's escapades at SocGen have brought the issue very much to the forefront of senior manager's minds this year.

That said, IMO, a minimum of two continous weeks spent not thinking about work, or looking for work, in every year is necessary for my general well-being.