Employer Asking Staff To Use Holidays For Maintenance

[Lucky4Seven]

My husband has asked for me to post this on his behalf.

Earlier this year, his company moved premises.

Just this past week or so, several of their big machines started to break down and become unreliable.

He's heard rumours that the boss of the company is wanting to shut the company for a week to fix a certain problematic machine.

Rather then pay everyone for a compulsory shutdown for maintenance, the employer is going to be asking staff to use their holidays.

As I recall their is nothing in my husband's contract of employment about being expected to use his holidays for the company to shut down for proposed maintenance.

So my question is this, my husband is very reluctant to use up his holiday in this way, and also its a way of the employer not to pay staff.

Can the employer legally expect his staff to use their holidays for planned maintenance shut down as this is not in his contract!?

I'm a Legal Secretary by trade, so my husband wants me to write a letter to his employer refusing to use his holidays in this way.

Any advice will be appreciate.

[ostell]

Yes, the employer can define when holidays are taken but must give sufficient notice

[ULA]

Under the Working Time Regulations an employer can determine when an employee takes holiday so long as they are given twice as much notice as the holiday they are required to take. So if an employer wants an employee to take 5 days holiday they have to give 10 days notice.

[Lucky4Seven]

Can my husband refuse to take the planned maintenance as holiday can he request to take it as unpaid !?

Seems a bit unfair the employer can do this in my opinion.

[ostell]

You can but ask

[Lucky4Seven]

How many times a year can the employer do this as employees are concerned about having no holidays left.