We wanted to update you on the changes being introduced to annual leave booking in Financial Support from 1 June 2026 and share our perspective on why we believe this approach will benefit most members.

Following feedback from colleagues to leadership on FS, they are proposing a more standard approach to booking annual leave, which is being introduced, where leave will normally be requested in half‑day or full‑day blocks.

We recognise that any change to how leave is booked can feel significant, so we want to reassure you of the intent behind this and that  Senior union representatives were actively consulted on this.

Why we support this approach

From a union perspective, this change is designed to:

• Improve access to leave for more people
  By standardising booking patterns, availability becomes clearer and easier to manage, helping ensure fairer access to time off across teams. This means essentially more opportunities to take half or full days off will exist, giving our members more choice on when to take a more meaningful break.
• Create more opportunities to take leave
  Moving away from fragmented, short bookings helps release capacity, meaning more colleagues can successfully secure time off when they need it.
• Support better planning and wellbeing
  A clearer system makes it easier to plan meaningful breaks, while also protecting important time for coaching, development and support.

Overall, the aim is to make annual leave simpler, fairer, and more accessible for everyone.

Flexibility is still available

We fully understand that not everyone’s circumstances fit neatly into half‑day or full‑day blocks.

Importantly, there remains a fair and reasonable exceptions process in place. This means:

• If you need to take leave in a shorter week or in a different format, you can still request this (just not directly on AWS)
• Requests will be considered based on individual circumstances
• There is a clear process and timeline for decisions, helping ensure consistency and fairness

This flexibility is vital, and we will continue to ensure it is applied fairly and with understanding for members’ individual needs.

Our commitment

We will continue to monitor how these changes work in practice and will raise any concerns where members are not experiencing fair or reasonable access to leave.

Your feedback is important to us — if you have concerns or experiences you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch either with one of your site-based area representatives or directly with the Union Helpline on 01442 891122

As always, we will continue to be your informed voice at work.