Summer holidays are just around the corner. Schools and colleges break up in just a few weeks' time, the sun's out and many of us will soon be off work and enjoying some welcome rest and relaxation. 

That all sounds wonderful, but as many employers know, managing staff annual leave has to be handled carefully so that everyone is treated fairly.  

All employees, including apprentices, are legally entitled to take annual paid holiday but no one has the right to book whatever time off they want.  

Apprentice holiday entitlement 

Apprentices have the same legal right to holiday as anyone else who is legally classed as an employee. They get at least 20 days paid holiday a year, plus bank holidays and they can build up their annual leave right from the start of their apprenticeship. 

Clearly all apprentices should be informed of their employment rights from day one, but with so much to take in, how much leave they'll have is something they might not consider until a few weeks or months into their training. 

Keen to make a good impression on their employer, colleagues and co-workers, they probably won't want to look as if they're already thinking about holiday entitlement so early on. 

Booking time off  

The HR advice to employees is always try and book early so that employers can see in advance who is away and when. That way employers can plan ahead, perhaps adjusting their business operations, moving deadlines and/or bringing in temporary cover while staff are off.  

Government guidelines state that the general notice period for taking leave should be least twice as long as the amount of leave an employee is requesting, plus one day. So, an employee would give three days' notice for one day's leave. These days most businesses and organisations use holiday booking system software, making it so much simpler and quicker for employees to submit their requests.  

There are so many holiday request and tracker apps on the market, removing the need for spreadsheets, multiple calendars, wall charts or worse still the dreaded 'holiday book' - a source of so much workplace contention in years gone by. Nowadays employees and employers can just log onto the system anytime and anywhere, as long as there's a decent internet connection. They don't need to be in the office to manage annual leave and, because the holiday planner app is visible to everyone, employers find the whole process of allocating time off much fairer. 

Assisting apprentices with their annual leave requests  

Ask your apprentice if they have any holiday booked or any plans to request annual leave when they first begin their scheme. 

Many apprentices attend college and/or have tutors visit them in their workplace, so they'll want to take holiday outside of term time. Also, they'll need to factor in assessment dates, preparing for gateway and EPA when booking time off. 

Explain how your holiday booking system works and who to talk to if they have any concerns or queries about annual leave requests. This is something a mentor or buddy can help with if the apprentice is shy about asking their manager. 

Apprentices work hard and, just like your other employees, will benefit from a refreshing break when they can park their daily work responsibilities and out of hours studying for a short while.  

How Onefile can help employers schedule apprentice holidays and time off    

Onefile schedules and manages training activities so you can plan your apprentices' timetable around holidays or other planned absences. It allows you to create and manage assessment plans and set dates and times for visits or contact with your learners. Click here to learn more!