Annual leave guidance and purchase scheme
We’re delighted to be able to launch the 2024/25 annual leave purchase scheme (ALPS) – you can now download the ALPS request form here (you must be logged in to My DCHS in order to access this).
For the 2024/25 scheme you’ll be able to purchase up to the equivalent of two working weeks (based on contractual hours), minus any carry over from 2023/24. For example, if you work full-time and carry over three days from 2023/24 into 2024/25, then you can only purchase an additional seven days. The request process will close after 4 April and salary deductions for approved annual leave purchase will be made in 11-month instalments from May 2024 for the remainder of the financial year (provided the employee does not leave or take an employment break, which would trigger recovery in full).
Full details of the ALPS process can be found below:
12.1 - Any scheme run by the Trust in relation to the Buying of Annual Leave will be reviewed and communicated on an annual basis.
Where the Trust approves an ALPS scheme, all employees will have the opportunity to request the purchase of up to 2 working weeks (10 working days pro-rata if appropriate) of additional annual leave. For employees on a fixed term contract, the entitlement would also be pro-rated to the length of the fixed term contract. For example, an employee on a whole time equivalent fixed term contract which is due to end in September, would be able to request 5 working days as additional annual leave. Approval of the request would be subject to the operational requirements of the service and if approval is not given, managers must give reasons and explore other options with the employees.
12.2 - Where an employee is on a fixed term contract, the payments will be calculated up to the end of the last full month of their contract. For example, if a fixed term contract is due to end on 18 January, the payments would be calculated up to the end of December (9 monthly payments). Please note, where the deduction takes the monthly salary below the national minimum wage, an annual leave purchase scheme would not be approved. In this instance, the employee would be given the option to request unpaid leave.
12.3 - Monthly deductions for payment of the additional leave will be calculated by the Systems and Information Team (equal payments for the remaining months within that annual leave year) and confirmed to the employee. The Systems and Information Team will record additional annual leave that has been purchased on ESR.
12.4 - The monthly deductions will not affect pension contributions.
12.5 - Additional annual leave should be booked and taken in line with normal annual leave procedures.
12.6 - Any additional annual leave must be taken within the year in which it is purchased. There is no provision to carry over any purchased additional annual leave into the following leave year and no reimbursement will be made for any remaining additional annual leave.
Annual leave carry over
There are many benefits of taking regular annual leave. It’s important we all enjoy time away from work to recharge our batteries and give ourselves well-earned breaks throughout the year.
However, we appreciate that it’s not always possible to use your full leave entitlement each year, so we’re allowing up to 37.5 hours (pro rota for part-time employees) to be carried over into the next leave year. Any more than that would need approval from your manager and discussion with your divisional people lead to account for any exceptional circumstances.
It’s important that the electronic staff record (ESR) and/or health roster is up-to-date for you and your teams at the end of the leave year (31 March) to ensure we’re able to get an accurate picture of any annual leave being carried over. Everybody must take personal responsibility for this, as it will avoid the need for any manual data collection and will mean your leave is accurate going into the new leave year.