Holidays: End-of-year holidays

It is very common for companies to let most of their staff take time off over the festive season. Some companies close down completely.

Organising such a closure is fairly straightforward, but it does need to be planned a little in advance.

All employees will be required to take their paid annual leave during the closure period. In this case, the employer will need to manage the situation for those who have not accrued enough leave days.

Company closure for the end-of-year holidays: remember to inform your employees Unless otherwise stipulated in a collective agreement or in the absence of a collective agreement, the employer may choose to grant paid leave on a rotational basis or require all employees to take leave at the same time by closing the business for annual leave.

The employee’s consent is not required, even where the main holiday is split, provided the holiday takes place during the period when the business is closed.

However, a company-level agreement or, failing that, a sector-wide agreement may lay down the rules for splitting leave.

Leave days will not be compensated unless the closure exceeds the number of statutory leave days.

Please note: If you decide to close the business, ensure you inform employees well in advance; otherwise, they may claim compensation if they have already used up their annual leave.