Local government workers are fending off financial woes by selling their holiday leave. More than 600 staff at Tory-led Kent CC sold back their holiday to the authority last year, an increase of 34% on the previous year. This amounted to more than 3,700 days, valued at £531,205. Kent's communities' cabinet member, Cllr Roger Gough, said: ‘We offer people some flexibility with their leave, as part of our benefits package. However, this flexibility is discretionary, and the council can turn down a request. ‘The needs of the business and of services are always given top priority when it comes to reviewing requests to buying additional time off.' Bracknell Forest Council also allows staff to both buy and sell leave, and claimed the scheme had not only improved staff retention, with turnover now down from 14% to 10% but had made the council a net profit of £18,000 in 2008/09.