Holiday Entitlement: A Guide for the UK Employees

Employees working in the UK are entitled to 5-6 weeks’ paid leaves a year. These include workers on a zero-hours contract, employees working irregular hours, and agency workers. Your company may use bank holidays as a part of your annual leaves.

Statutory Annual Leave Entitlement

Employees who work five days a week have a legal right to 28 paid leaves a year. Those who work a part-time job must receive 5.6 weeks’ paid leaves. However, these holidays would be fewer than 28 days. For instance, if you’re working three days a week, you’ll get 16.8 leaves per year.

If you’re working irregular shifts, you’ll have paid time off for every hour you work. You can calculate your leaves based on your average working hours in a week.

Unfortunately, paid leaves are limited to 28 days. So, if you’re working six days a week, you’d still be entitled to 28 annual leaves only.

Rules for Workers  

Working Time Regulation 1998 sets the holiday entitlement for all workers in the UK, except those who are self-employed. Workers have a right to:

• Receiving payment for leaves
• Using holiday entitlement during adoption, paternity, or maternity leave.
• Building up holiday entitlement for sick leaves.
• Requesting holidays along with sick leaves.

Some companies offer more holidays besides annual paid leaves. This includes bereavement days, emergency medical appointments, moving days, or dental visits.

Unpaid Holiday Leaves

You may request your company to provide you with extra unpaid leaves. However, your organization isn’t legally obliged to allow you for it. Some companies grant unpaid leaves on certain conditions like attending a funeral, visiting a bereaved family member, etc.

Bank Holidays

Public or bank holidays don’t have to be utilized as paid leaves. A company can include public holidays as their employee’s annual leave.

Disputes

Every employer is entitled to provide employees with paid annual leaves. If you aren’t allowed to avail your annual leaves, resolve the issue by submitting a grievance. Explain your problem and see if your employer can solve it. As a worker in the UK, your grievance must be accompanied by a colleague or a Citizens Advice Bureau worker.

To ensure no disputes occur, carefully read your employment contract before signing up with your employer. If there are any contract disputes, allow Wembley Solicitors to help. Our solicitors in London will ensure your company fulfills its end of the agreement. Contact us today for more details.