Document checklist

Your holiday balance review checklist

The dates, documents and questions to gather before asking HR to explain an annual leave figure.

Handwritten checklist in an open journal

An accurate leave question is easier to answer than “Why is my balance wrong?” A short evidence pack helps both you and the employer identify where the numbers diverge.

Gather the source documents

Collect the holiday clause, later amendments, applicable policy, annual balance notices and approved or rejected requests. Add your normal working days for each relevant period.

Build a one-page chronology

List employment start date, leave-year boundaries, schedule changes, longer periods of incapacity, parental leave and any notice date. Only include facts relevant to the balance.

Ask for a calculation, not a conclusion

Request a breakdown showing opening entitlement, pro-rata adjustment, days taken, days carried in and any days treated as expired. Ask which rule supports each adjustment.

Keep the exchange neutral and in writing. If the answer reveals a formal deadline, termination issue or unresolved legal interpretation, obtain qualified advice without delay.