New UK Holiday Entitlement - Extra Holidays

15:01.00 - Friday 22nd June 2007   (Link to This Entry)

To bring us more into line with the rest of Europe, the Government has decided to increase the Holiday Entitlement for UK Workers. Currently we are on 20 days for full-time workers which equates to 4 weeks a year (if you include the weekends). For people working less than a full week, the same applies but Pro-Rata, so someone working 3 days currently gets 12 days per year off.

Over the next couple of years that will increase to 28 days for a full-time worker. It is being phased in over two working years (so four this year, four more the next) to lessen the impact on companies.

In addition to this, we have 8 National (or Bank) Holidays scattered throughout the year. A minor problem is that these Bank Holidays can be included as part of your Holiday Entitlement - there's no law that says your employer has to give you this time off, but a majority of office workers get them anyway.

The same applies with the new situation - you are now entitles to 28 days off, but those 28 days may or may not include the Bank Holidays, depending on what your employer decides. I can forsee a situation where some employers, perhaps already stretched paying National Minimum Wage, will decide to include the Bank Holidays as part of the holiday entitlement where previously they were extra. Employees will think it unfair, but it's perfectly legal.

It's worth noting, as well, that there's no law that says an employer has to pay you extra if you don't take your holidays. It's a case of "Use 'em or Lose 'em".