May 31st 2021
To: All Mandate Members – Tesco Ireland Limited
Re: Holidays
From: Tesco National Strategy Team
Dear Member,
As part of our commitment to keeping in touch more regularly, we have been updating you on you entitlements within Tesco, which have been hard campaigned for by you, the members through your Union, Mandate.
Today we cover the topic of Holidays, please note the below is a guide which is based on the Tesco Mandate Holiday Document 2017 Click Here to view in full.
If you would like a topic covered in future updates, please submit using the form below.
Holiday Leave Year
The Company holiday leave year generally runs from 1st April to 31st March. Holidays taken in the last week of the holiday year will be taken from that holiday year.
In line with the application process, holidays will be granted where it has not yet been accrued on the understanding that if a termination of the contract occurs the Company will recoup the excess holiday pay from any termination pay.
How Many Holidays Am I Entitled to?
All retail members are entitled to the following number of days based on length of service:
21 days for all members
22 days after 3 years service
23 days after 5 years service
24 days after 20 years’ service
Holiday entitlement will be increased automatically at the start of the week in which the members anniversary of service date falls.
Members Contracted to Work on a 5/6 or 5/7 Contract
Full time Members – a week’s holiday entitlement is 5 working days.
Part Time Members
Part time Members, holiday entitlement will be calculated on your current average normal weekly hours worked over the previous 13 weeks. For example, if you work 20 hours, 1 week holiday entitlement is 20 hours (5 days will be deducted from your holiday entitlement); 1 day holiday entitlement is 1/5 of 20 hours i.e. 4 hours. ·
Members Contracted to Work on a 3/7 Contract
Holiday entitlement will be calculated on your current average normal weekly hours worked over the previous 13 weeks. For example, if you work 24 hours, 1 week holiday entitlement is 24 hours; 1 day holiday entitlement is 1/3 of 24 hours i.e. 8 hours.
If you are contracted to work 2, 3, 4 days per week and you take 1 week of holiday this counts as 5 days from your holiday entitlement.
Holiday Pay
Annual leave pay for all members will be based on the average pay over the previous 13 weeks worked and will therefore include overtime i.e. late nights, Sundays and early morning premiums.
Members who receive agreed late nights and take a day’s holiday on the day their late-night falls, in this circumstance the Member will receive an average days’ pay and will have the option to work their late-night on an alternative day that week or as soon thereafter by agreement with their line manager.
Timing of Holiday Pay
For all colleagues individual days leave are paid with pay for that week and holidays of one or more whole weeks are paid in advance of the holiday starting. If a paid holiday coincides with a public holiday, the colleague is entitled to a day in lieu.
Booking Holidays
In line with the Organisation Working Time Act the Company may decide when holiday leave may be taken. Management must take into account family responsibilities, opportunities for rest and recreation that are available prior to making this decision.
Holiday can be taken as follows;
1 spring week, 2 summer weeks, remainder as individual days
1 spring week, 2 summer weeks, 1 winter week, remainder as individual days
In the event that a member requests more than two weeks or an alternative to the above this will have to be signed off with the store manager prior to booking.
All holidays should be taken before the holiday year-end. Holidays will not normally be granted during our exceptionally busy times e.g. the month of December and the Easter Holiday period.
Holiday Booking Window
In order to ensure that all members receive their full holiday entitlement at a time that suits both themselves and the business, there is a “Holiday Booking Window” process in place. The holiday booking window gives members a set period of time to request your holidays for the year ahead. In February the holiday booking window opens and all colleagues will have a holiday review meeting with their line manager to confirm that their holiday entitlement is fully booked for the forthcoming holiday year. The holiday booking window closes on 1st March.
All holiday requests should be submitted on the ‘Holiday request Form Click Here which needs to be signed off by the line manager during the booking window. A copy must be given to the you and the original to be placed on the individual’s file.
Signing off Holiday Request Forms
Your line manager in conjunction with the store manager is authorised to sign off holiday requests up to a maximum of two weeks holiday. All requested holiday days signed off by line managers must be honoured, therefore agreed holiday days should be honoured by management when colleagues move between departments and or stores.
In the event that 2 or more colleagues request the same day or weeks holidays during the holiday booking window and this exceeds the allocation of holidays, in these circumstances the holidays will be granted to the colleague with the longest service.
Cancelling Booked Leave
A Member can make changes to their holiday dates in an emergency, if their plans change or when an unexpected event arises. By speaking with the line manager at the earliest opportunity they should try to accommodate any request, or work to agree a solution.
Remaining Holidays at End of Leave Year
There should be no holidays carried over. In exceptional circumstances if they cannot be taken in the year they must be taken in the first 3 months of the new holiday year, by agreement with your store manager.
Please note it is a breach of the Organisation of Working Time Act not to receive your annual leave within the leave year or within 3 months of the following leave year, if you have not received you leave, please contact you Shop Steward/Local Mandate Office
Underpayment/Overpayments for Holidays
If a Member has been overpaid or underpaid due to an administration error, the compliance/line manager should contact the payroll department who will calculate whether the over/underpayment has affected the Members tax or PRSI and will advise what steps to take.
Member receives payslip and discovers he/she has been left short of hours – the process is as follows:
Member contacts their line manager as soon as the error has been noticed.
Line manager investigates if there has been an error.
If an underpayment has occurred the compliance/line manager contacts payroll department to calculate net payment due to the Member.
Compliance/line manager arranges payment to be given to Member prior to going on leave
While on Holidays
Store managers, personnel managers and/or line managers must not roster a Member on a day or week that he/she has booked as a holiday. Any incident of a colleague found to be working while on holiday leave may be fully investigated. Arising from an investigation this may lead to disciplinary action being taken against the party responsible.
In the event a colleague has a grievance in relation to any of the above, the normal grievance procedures in line with the “Working Together” folder for dealing with issues will continue to apply. You should speak to your Shop Steward or Union Official about how you can further pursue your grievance.