Imagine you have booked annual leave, paid for flights for your
holiday, and then received notice from your employer that they are
cancelling your approved leave. One Australian worker recently went
viral
after a message exchange between him and his boss was shared online
detailing this exact situation.
The exchange received over a million views and thousands of
comments, with people stunned by the employer's actions and
sparking conversations about the legality of having approved leave
cancelled.
So, can your employer cancel already approved annual leave?
In Australia, permanent employees are entitled to paid annual
leave under the Fair Work Act and National Employment Standards. An
employee cannot take leave without approval, and the process for
applying is typically specified in an employment contract, award,
enterprise agreement or company policy.
