By David Jones, Brightmine Freelance Consultant
Employers may occasionally face situations where an employee takes a holiday without approval—either by ignoring a refusal for annual leave or by failing to request permission at all. Unauthorised holidays can create disruption and raise important HR and disciplinary considerations.
Our guide explains how to manage unapproved annual leave fairly and effectively, helping employers respond consistently and prevent similar issues in the future.
In this guide, learn about:
- Reducing the chances of an employee going on holiday without authorisation
- Where the employer suspects that the employee will take unauthorised leave
- Where the employee is absent from work without explanation
- Where the employee calls in sick
- The employee returns to work
- Deciding on the disciplinary sanction for unauthorised absence
- Payment for unauthorised absence
Want to see more?
For full access to How to deal with an employee who goes ahead with a holiday when annual leave has not been authorised, sign up to a HR and Compliance Centre subscription today.
You may also be interested in…
Letter confirming outcome of stage 1 short-term sickness absence meeting
A stage 1 short‑term sickness absence meeting helps employers address attendance concerns early and set clear expectations going …
Time off for dependants policy
This model policy sets out employees’ right to take time off work to deal with emergencies involving dependants, …
How to manage sickness absence
Effective absence management goes beyond return-to-work meetings. Explore practical strategies, from wellbeing support to absence triggers, and learn …
About the author
David Jones
David Jones is a freelance consultant on both UK and Irish employment law. He has over 20 years’ experience of writing, training and lecturing on employment law and his background is mainly from within the voluntary sector. He has an LLM in employment law and industrial relations.