Annual leave 2026 carry over changes

Carry over arrangements

The Annual Leave Policy allows limited carry over of unused leave in exceptional circumstances:

• Professional Services staff may carry over up to 5 days (pro rata for part-time staff). Any carried over hours must be taken by 31 October.
• Academic staff may carry over up to 7 days (pro rata for part-time staff). Any carried over hours must be taken by the end of the following academic year.

What’s changing this year

To make the process simpler, the carry over process will be automated this year. This means:

• There is no need to complete a carry over form
• There is no requirement to seek separate management approval via the previous process
• No additional leave beyond these limits may be carried over under any circumstances, even with line manager approval

Planning your annual leave

Colleagues are encouraged to check their current leave balance and make plans to take any outstanding leave by the end of the leave year. You can check and book your annual leave on iTrent, further guidance can be found in the Employee Self-Service user guide (iTrent)

Find out more

You can view the full Annual Leave Policy [PDF]

If you have any questions, please contact the People & Culture team at p&c@beds.ac.uk