How to Request Leave Over Christmas in South Africa (When You Don’t Have Enough Days)
Christmas is a time for family gatherings, spending time with your family and friends, visiting home villages and reconnecting with people you haven’t seen in a while because of work. Almost everyone in South Africa wants to have time off work for Christmas but what happens when you want to take leave and you don’t have enough days for you to spend time off work? The following tips will help you on how to negotiate for more days off and what to do when the request is declined.
Understanding South African Leave Law
In South Africa full- time employees are entitled to at least 21 consecutive days of paid leave every year according to the Employment Act(BCEA). This means for every completed month of service, you have 1.75 leave days.
If you have used most of your days during the year, but still need to take time off then you should take note of the following;
- There is no legal entitlement to unpaid leave unless it was initially included in your employment contract.
- You can request for an unpaid leave as long as your employer is in agreement with it
- Some companies in South Africa closes/shutdown during festive season so this is more like a forced leave for their employees
Can Your Company In South Africa Refuse to Give You Leave?
In South Africa, your employer has the power to approve or deny you leave days. Grounds for denial can be:
- Not having enough leave days
- Other people have applied for leave before you so your presence is needed during the period
- When the operational needs of the company are likely to pause in your absence
Employers have the right to deny you leave days in cases where your absence will affect the company’s daily productivity but they are more lenient towards the end of the year holidays as people want to go home and rest. To add on, business is generally slow for most sectors during the December festive season.
What You Can Do If Your Leave Request Is Denied
In cases where your employer has denied your request, in South Africa; here is a few actions you may take:
- Negotiate for other functional options like working from home or suggesting an unpaid leave
- If possible, suggest working overtime before or after the Christmas holidays to make up for the time you won’t be there
- You can choose flexibility of covering emergencies remotely or taking a shorter period instead of the days you initially requested
- Check for your company’s leave policies and explore other options like “special leave” or advance leave where employees can borrow leave days from future leave.
Can Your Manager Refuse Your Leave Request
in South Africa?
How to Request Leave Over Christmas When You Don’t Have Enough Days
The following examples are sample emails that you can use as guidance when you request for leave with low annual leave days on Christmas in South Africa:
Leave request Email Sample 1: Requesting Unpaid Leave
Subject: Request for Unpaid Leave Over Christmas Period
Dear [Manager’s Name],
I trust this email finds you well.I understand that I have exhausted my annual leave days hence why I am writing to request unpaid leave from [start date] to [end date]. It’s towards Christmas and I would highly appreciate it if my request gets approved so that I can spend time with my family.
I acknowledged how crucial my role is for the company’s operational needs, that is why I am willing to discuss other options like assisting remotely when i’m needed and also working overtime for the time I won’t be around.
Thank you in advance for considering my request. I look forward to your response and am happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
Yours Sincerely,
[Your Name]
.
Leave request Email Sample 2: Requesting Leave in Advance
Subject: Request for Advance Leave Over Christmas Period
Dear [Manager’s Name],
I hope this email finds you well. I have just reviewed my leave days and realized I would need extra days for the festive season as I would like to spend time with my family. I am writing this to request for advance leave from [start date] to [end date] . Since I do not have enough leave days currently, I was hoping that these days would be deducted from my future leave allocation.
I am happy to discuss this further, explore any solutions that would minimize disruption to the team during my absence and offer assisting remotely if possible.
Thank you in advance for your consideration, and I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
[Your Name]
Leave Email Sample 3: Offering to Work Remotely
Subject: Christmas Leave Request with Remote Work Option
Dear [Manager’s Name],
I trust you are well. I would like to request leave for the upcoming Christmas holidays from [start date] to [end date]. I understand the team might need me during my absence and I would be more than happy to assist them while working remotely from home so that I get a chance to spend time with my family.
I would be happy to discuss more viable options or anything extra i can do in advance before i leave.
Thank you in advance for your understanding. I look forward to your feedback.
Yours Sincerely,
[Your Name]
How to Make Your Leave Request More Effective
To avoid your leave request being denied on Christmas holidays in South Africa, take not of the following:
- Make sure you request for leave earlier than usual just incase more people are planning to also take leave days
- Incases where you know your presence is highly needed, offer solutions like working remotely or get an unpaid leave incase they need to find someone to step in
- Some companies may not allow you to carry over your leave days if you don’t use it that year, so learn your company policies and take advantage of those.
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Conclusion
Finding a way to have your leave days approved over the Christmas break in South Africa can be difficult, especially if you run low on annual leave days. With the right approach and showing that you’re thinking for yourself and the company’s needs also can get you that break you need. If it proves to be a little difficult then offer functional solutions like working from home so that you can help the company while spending time with your family. Applying early may also come as an advantage so you might as well start now.
