What are the annual leave entitlements in the United Kingdom (UK)?

Annual leave is the paid time off work that employees are entitled to each year. The amount of leave varies depending on the employment terms, the number of days worked per week, and any agreements with the employer.

Minimum and Standard Annual Leave Entitlement

Minimum Entitlement:
The legal minimum annual leave entitlement in the UK is 20 days per year, plus the option to include 8 public holidays, making a total of 28 days.
Standard Entitlement:
Many employers in the UK offer a standard annual leave entitlement of 24 days, which may or may not include public holidays.

Annual Leave for Part-Time Employees

Proportional Calculation:
Part-time employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks of statutory paid holiday, calculated in proportion to the days worked. For example, if an employee works 3 days a week, they are entitled to 16.8 days of paid holiday per year (3 days x 5.6 weeks).
Holiday Entitlement Calculator:
To calculate specific holiday entitlement, employees and employers can use the government-provided holiday entitlement calculator: Holiday Entitlement Calculator.

Annual Leave Calendar

The annual leave calendar typically runs from January 1st to December 31st. This period defines the timeframe within which employees must take their entitled leave.

Employer's Right to Enforce Leave

Employers have the right to require employees to take annual leave on specific dates. This is often done for operational reasons, such as during business closures or low-demand periods. Employers must provide notice that is at least twice the length of the leave period they are enforcing (e.g., 2 weeks' notice for 1 week of enforced leave).

Accrual of Leave

First-Year Employment:
During the first year of employment, leave is typically accrued on a pro-rata basis. This means that the amount of leave available is proportional to the amount of the year worked.
Subsequent Years:
From the second year of employment onward, employees are generally entitled to the full number of annual leave days from the beginning of the leave year.

Carrying Over Accrued Leave

Standard Entitlement (Up to 28 Days):
Employees who are entitled to 28 days of leave can carry over up to 8 days of unused leave into the next year.
Additional Leave Entitlement (More than 28 Days):
If an employee is entitled to more than 28 days of leave, they may carry over additional untaken leave into the next year, but only with the employer's consent.

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United Kingdom