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I have already put in my 2 week notice for my current employer, as I will be starting another job in about 2-weeks time. However, I failed to remember that I have 4 unused floating holidays/personal days before I already put in my notice. These are 4 days that are granted by my current company at the beginning of each year (no accrual period). These are not paid out upon voluntary termination (unlike regular accrued vacation days that are paid out), as explicitly specified in the company policy. I feel like I'd be losing a huge chunk of time and/or money if I forfeit these 4 days, but at the same time, it's only a week into the new year, and perhaps I'd be cheating my employer if I took them all now? Also, I don't know that my manager would approve this time off in any case, since I'm on my 2-week notice period. Should I try to get these days off, or should I just let it go? Should I talk with HR about my options, or will it come off as scummy and money-grubbing? Any advice/suggestions for course of action on this?

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  • What country do you work in?
    – Myles
    Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 21:34
  • I work in the US. I am leaving on ok terms, but I know my boss is likely unhappy since half of her team has left recently and is in a bind on manpower.
    – user97675
    Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 21:44
  • In many cases, although days like that are front-loaded, they are pro-rated when you leave, so they wouldn't consider you to have more than a few hours of one day actually available. Especially if you've already given notice.
    – thursdaysgeek
    Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 23:11
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    You missed a country tag.
    – gnasher729
    Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 23:37
  • Welcome new user. the best you can do is simply email HR and ask "what the policy is on those floating holidays"
    – Fattie
    Commented Jan 8, 2019 at 17:40

3 Answers 3

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There are occasionally times when it is simpler to let something go, rather than try to grab every last shilling on the table.

This is one of those times.

You can certainly ask your HR department to pay those four days, and it wouldn't hurt to ask them about it, but I wouldn't plan on holding my breath waiting for them to say "yes".

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  • I disagree that it wouldn't hurt to ask about it. I feel many companies may feel like you're being greedy, and may lead to a bad impression if you do ask them to pay it out. Usually, when a company grants any type of PTO at the beginning of each year (no accrual period), they expect it to be used throughout the year. This is probably why they do not pay out for these days on voluntary termination. So asking to be paid out for these days, even though you only just got them because of the new year, may be seen negatively.
    – Jun Kang
    Commented Jan 8, 2019 at 17:03
  • I should add this. I retired from my employer last November, effective 1 December. When they asked what I planned to do between the conversation in which I put in the retirement (it was sudden, for medical reasons: long story), my reply was "To the best of my knowledge, I have three full weeks of accrued vacation time AND three floating holidays on the books, which should be more than enough to cover it." They checked and agreed, and that was that. They STILL wound up paying me for some accrued vacation time at the end of it all.
    – John R. Strohm
    Commented Jul 22, 2022 at 1:30
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Floating holidays are a pretty new concept that are intended to give employees the opportunity to celebrate the holidays that are most meaningful to them, regardless of culture, religion or nationality. So instead of having 11 fixed holidays you have 7 fixed holidays and 4 floaters (for example).

For standard holidays it is simple: If you quit before the 4th of July, you don't get to take the 4th of July off. It's probably best to view the floaters the same way: as something that's spread out more or less evenly through the year. I'd say, it would be fair to take of one floater for each quarter you have worked through the year. So in your case, that would be nothing (sorry).

You could certainly try to force it, using the letter of the law. But it's clearly not the spirit of the law: If it's getting abused, the company will just tighten up the rules or quit floating holidays all together. It's a well intended and generous policy (by enabling all floaters from day 1). It would be a unfortunate if it would get killed by abuse so the mature & ethical thing to do would be to let it go.

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You earned your holidays. Asking for those holidays, or the money equivalent, is absolutely normal. In European countries it's usually not even necessary to ask, because the employer knows they have to pay.

In the USA, rules are different and nastier. It's best to make sure you've taken all your holidays before you give notice. Still, asking HR for payment will not hurt. A decent employer would pay.

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    These are floating holidays, they are NOT earned or accrued and work different from regular vacation days.
    – Hilmar
    Commented Jan 8, 2019 at 3:03

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