We’re excited to announce the next window to take advantage of our Annual Leave Purchase Scheme (ALPS) is due to open. This voluntary benefit allows eligible staff to purchase additional annual leave through a salary sacrifice arrangement.
You will be able to apply to purchase additional leave between Monday 3 August and Friday 21 August 2026 only.
What managers and employees need to know
- Employees are encouraged to discuss any additional leave purchase with their manager before applying, to ensure departmental cover can be accommodated.
- Applications must be submitted via iTrent ESS using the Buy and Sell option.
- Managers must approve or decline requests during the review period.
- Deductions will be made over 12 months for any additional leave purchased
- these will begin from 1 Sepetember
- Purchased leave can be taken between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027, subject to local departmental leave policies.
Useful resources
Before you purchase additional leave, please
- Ensure you understand the scheme by reading the Buying Additional Annual Leave webpage
- Discuss purchasing additional leave with your line manager. Any additional leave purchased will be subject to approval in line with departmental leave policies
- Ensure you have read and agree to the terms set out in the Annual Leave Purchase Scheme Process and Guidance document.
- Check the cost of purchasing additional leave, and how it may affect your monthly pay, using our Annual Leave Purchase Scheme calculator.
We know August is a busy time of year, so we’re sharing these dates early. This allows anyone who wants to use the scheme - and their managers - to plan ahead and make sure requests are submitted and approved within the required time frames.
For more information on the scheme and how to purchase additional leave, please visit the Buying additional annual leave webpage.