What to do if…
you are told you cannot take pre-approved time off because of business needs

What to do now

1. Save proof of the approval and the change. Keep screenshots/emails/messages showing: the dates approved, who approved, when it was approved, and the message saying it’s now cancelled (or “cannot be taken”).
2. Confirm what kind of time off this is. If it’s annual leave/holiday, the employer can sometimes refuse or cancel specific dates, but notice rules apply. If it’s a different statutory leave type (for example maternity/paternity/adoption leave), the process is different. If you are actually unwell, follow your sickness reporting procedure rather than treating it as a holiday dispute.
3. Check your contract/policy first, then count the notice. Work out:
   • how many days of leave you were due to take, and
   • how many days’ notice you were given before the leave starts.
     If your contract/policy does not set a different notice rule, the default position is commonly described as the employer giving at least the length of the leave being cancelled. GOV.UK guidance often expresses this as the length of the leave, plus 1 day. If you’re checking whether notice was “enough”, use the longer figure.
     Example: for 5 days booked, check whether you were told at least 5 days beforehand (and, using GOV.UK’s default wording, 6 days beforehand).
4. Reply once, calmly, in writing (two asks + one option). Example structure:
   • “Please confirm in writing that my approved annual leave from [date] to [date] is cancelled, and the reason.”
   • “Please confirm the notice rule being relied on (contract/policy section, or the default rule).”
   • “If the required notice has not been given, can we either honour the original dates or agree a cover plan (for example, I can cover [specific critical task/meeting] and then take the rest of the leave)?”
5. If you’ll lose money, raise it immediately and neutrally. “I have non-refundable costs booked based on written approval. Is there a reimbursement/exception process, or can we adjust dates to avoid losses?” (Whether they will reimburse often depends on contract/policy, but asking early matters.)
6. Protect your entitlement in the leave year. Ask them to propose alternative dates in writing and to confirm how they will ensure you can still take your full holiday entitlement within the holiday year (they can refuse particular dates, but they should not prevent you taking leave altogether).
7. Escalate through the workplace route the same day. If your manager won’t engage, contact HR and say you’re seeking urgent confirmation of the cancellation notice basis and a resolution. If you have a union rep, involve them early.
8. If this feels targeted, start a timeline. Note dates/times/what was said/witnesses, and keep communications factual. If you think the cancellation is linked to a protected issue (for example pregnancy, disability/health, whistleblowing), you can raise that later — for now, document it.