Can my employer make me take my holidays when they want, rather than when I'd like?

Yes. You do not necessarily have the right to choose when you take your holiday and your employer can tell you when to take your leave.   

However, your employer has to give you two days' notice for every day they want you to take. For example,if your employer is telling you that you must take four days' holiday, they need to give you eight days' notice of this.   

If it is a reasonable request that is non-discriminatory, you cannot normally turn down your employer's instruction to take leave. While this is not very fair, it is thankfully not that common for employers to tell you exactly when to take leave.   

Employers who have set rules about when you can take leave should make these clear. Check your contract or staff handbook. For example, they may:   

• forbid leave at busy times of year (such as the run-up to Christmas);  
• have a system that ensures that critical tasks are always covered; or  
• reserve the right to say no to individual requests.   

Some restrictions are not unreasonable, but they should not be operated unfairly or in a way that discriminates. The law expects employers to make the rules as clear as possible, to have a clear justification for them, and to operate them consistently and fairly.   

The legal right to take holiday is based on the need to protect workers' health, safety and welfare. It is unlawful for employers to make it too difficult for workers to take their holiday.   

In addition, the law requires employers to actively encourage workers to take their holiday.