So I have been told that CFAV are entitled to two days paid leave a year for Cadet training. Is this true?
Very much employer dependent. Mine gives me 6 days a year, some will give 2, some will give 0. There’s no national standard.
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Mines gives 0. Pretty standard for small employers. To do cadet stuff mid-week I take normal annual leave. Although the advantage of being with a small company is my AL is pretty relaxed and flexible.
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Mine has it written into our “Special Leave” Policy, as Reserves and Cadet Forces.
Ita still managers discretion, but upto 10 days.
Ive only been allowed 5 this year for my annual camp, and had to take extra leave either side to cover advanced party, etc.
But every little helps…
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I do wish I could get some more leave, special or normal! Someone asked if I can help out with a silver DofE in a couple of weeks, but it’s mid-week so just not doable for me at all really. If it was one Friday on one Monday I can make it work, but not 3 days off, when I’ve already run out of AL this year 
Again, I’m really lucky in that, that i can “buy” more from the company, as a salary sacrifice scheme.
I usually purchase an extra week, but thats used more for Childcare over the holidays.
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Yeah I can 5 days under a similar policy.
You tend to get it from Organisations that are signed up to the armed forces covenant.
That’s a great scheme, wish I had that!
Interesting that the Civil Service has reduced its special leave entitlement for Cadet Forces.
I used to get 5 days for training camps and 5 days for volunteering, now it’s a single 5 day block for either!!
As others have said, very much down to the employer. Some include cadet forces within their support through the armed forces covenant and some don’t. Some employers that are not signed up to the armed forces covenant offer volunteer days as part of their corporate social responsibility agenda, though some limit what they allow to volunteering linked to the companys aim.
I am also lucky that I have a manger that lets me use the volunteering days for RAFAC stuff even though its not strictly in accordance with the company policy.
Best advice is to check your contract and any employee handbook, if there is one, so you at least know your starting point.
I get no annual leave (self employed). And I still have to pay out for the business’ overheads on days I’m not working.
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Mine give me 14 days however they do get their knickers in a twist when I take 3 days as they say that’s classed as a week (er no).
If your company has signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant then it’s easier for you to get clarification.
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I get 80hrs volunteering leave for Cadet Forces stuff (equivalent to the 2 weeks paid leave for reservists).
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One year, i had:
2 weeks signed off due to an injury,
2 weeks paternity leave,
4 weeks shared parental
2 weeks reserves/cadet forces leave
Coupled with my 5 weeks holiday,
plus i had purchased an extra weeks leave…
My bosses comment was, “I was Off, more times that John Wayne’s safety catch…”
I did respond back, that when I’m on leave, productivity increases…
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Interested regarding your comments re civil service I’ve just started this year as a civil servant and I get 6 days for general volunteering plus 5 days for Cadet forces all Special Paid leave. I can if I wish use the volunteering for the cadets as well so that would give me up to 11 days.
I start with 25 Days AL which will slowly go up to 30 Days over 5 years 12.5 days PH & BH and 11 days Volunteering & Cadet Forces which without even taking into account educational leave or any other of the varied types od special leave gives up to 53.5 days off a year which when you think that Working days in a year is only 250 isn’t that bad.
168.5 days off a year out of 365.
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It’s always worth checking if your company has an Armed Forces Policy.
My previous (last in the UK) job didn’t have one at all, not even to cover reservists, but the one before that was beginning to implement it around the time I was being made redundant.
Admittedly they were doing so to try to secure the contract for delivering the Career Transitions Programme (which they failed to do) but it was still a step in the right direction.
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Ahh. not sure thats across the board. I’m CS and I take my special leave up to 5 days as I want, just record it on workday - this year I took a Thursday, Friday Monday block, then 2 single days.
Sorry meant not two way (camps & volunteering), now just 5 days, any way you wish.
I work in the NHS and my trust allows up to 10 days a year for reserve duties. Cadet volunteering is classed as reserve service so is included. I just have to present a letter from my CO confirming that the dates requested are for cadet purposes.
We have a cadet specific policy 1 week additional AL for cadet annual camps. Looks like a cut and paste from the reserve force policy.
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