Ask the expert: Enforced holiday problems

I've been working for a medium-sized company since May. I really like my job, and am just starting to feel like I understand my work and I'm getting things done well, and on time.

Last week, though, they announced that the office will be closing for Christmas three weeks and everyone is taking their holiday and annual leave for that period.

I have clients who expect projects in mid-January or early February, and my scheduling of work time didn't count on a big "hole" in the middle of my project (I did count on taking holidays off, just not all the other time).

I'm sure I cannot meet my deadlines if I am off for three weeks; and I can't afford to be without a pay cheque either.

Refer to your contract, and talk to your manager, and your HR manager as well. It may be possible for you to work during this period, if your services are required by clients and if it does not pose a security or health and safety risk if you are alone in the building during that time.

You may also be able to arrange to work at home for some portion of the time if that is reasonable given your work requirements. Alternatively, you will need help in re-negotiating deadlines or getting assistance with your projects to cope with the time off.

Your introduction to the job should have included information on shut-down times, so that you could schedule your work appropriately, but people who are accustomed to the practice may forget that newcomers are not aware of it.

If you do not work through, you need to check if the company will provide you with an advance on your annual leave during this period so that you can continue to draw your salary over the holiday period.

Both the timing of leave and advance access to leave are at your employer's discretion, so talk to them as soon as possible to try to work through this with them.