Holiday Entitlement

PiKe · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:00

I have been told my employer that I must use my holiday days else I will lose them.

To work out how many days holiday I was entitled to I went to direct.gov and read that someone working 5 days a week is entitled to 28 days. On double checking this with the accountant he told me that the 28 days only applies to people who work bank holidays such as hotel workers, I'm actually only entitled to 20 days holiday.

Is this correct? I can't see anything referring to this on direct.gov

yer_averagejoe · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:03

DirectGov said:
You do not have a statutory right to paid leave on bank and public holidays. If your employer gives paid leave on a bank or public holiday, this can count towards your minimum holiday entitlement. There are eight permanent bank and public holidays in England and Wales (nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland).

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_10029788

20 days sounds right if you get bank holidays off.

malfunkshun · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:03

28days including bank holidays. So, if you don't work on the BH and are paid it can be considered part of your anual leave. However, I believe that you should have 21 days (assuming you do not have Good Friday off) as the BH for the Royal wedding was an extra.

Schizo · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:05

20 to 22 days holiday is about average,i actually get 37 days holiday a year but have been with the company a long time.

mame · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:06

Just ask how many days you get? Didn't this come up during your application/interview/contract signing?

jp_bl_68 · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:12

schizo said:
20 to 22 days holiday is about average

Sounds about right to me. Can't you just ask your boss how many days you've accumulated?

My payslips tell me how many days I've got left.

PiKe · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:23

jp_bl_68 said:
Sounds about right to me. Can't you just ask your boss how many days you've accumulated?

My payslips tell me how many days I've got left.

Found my contract now, says 20 days.

Brookert · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:23

dont holiday periods usually run out in the end of the financial year? april time?

ristac · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:26

20 days excluding bank holidays

Cosimo · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:27

Brookert said:
dont holiday periods usually run out in the end of the financial year? april time?

Quite few employers allow you to carry over five days into the next leave year or use the excess up by the end of April.

Archy · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:40

Our holiday period runs from Jan 1st - Dec 31st.

Edit - we also have a 'use it or lose it policy' and are also encouraged to use most of our holidays before end of September due to Oct - Feb being our busy period (Plumbing and heating sector)

Deiwos · 11 Oct 2011 at 11:42

Archy said:
Our holiday period runs from Jan 1st - Dec 31st.

Ours runs September-August to fall in line with the academic year.

edit: and I get 25 days not including bank holidays. Boo yah.

hood1971 · 11 Oct 2011 at 12:15

malfunkshun said:
28days including bank holidays. So, if you don't work on the BH and are paid it can be considered part of your anual leave. However, I believe that you should have 21 days (assuming you do not have Good Friday off) as the BH for the Royal wedding was an extra.

Depends on contract of employment - "‘Accordingly, if an employee’s contract entitles them to 20 days plus bank holidays, the Royal Wedding will be a bonus day. If however the contract provides for 28 days including bank holidays, the employee will have to take the Royal Wedding as part of their annual holiday entitlement, unless of course the employer decides to grant an extra day of holiday"

http://www.bemmag.co.uk/2011/01/staff-holiday-entitlement-and-the-royal-wedding/

tres · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:23

As above - but it is the employer's responsibility to ensure you take them. You MUST have off the statutory minimum per year.

Burnsy2023 · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:24

tres said:
As above - but it is the employer's responsibility to ensure you take them. You MUST have off the statutory minimum per year.

Got a source for that?

PhillyDee · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:25

Usually its jan-dec. Ive never been able to keep mine. Always use them, or lose them.

Deadbeat · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:27

PhillyDee said:
Usually its jan-dec. Ive never been able to keep mine. Always use them, or lose them.

Really? Every place I've ever worked at is Apr - Mar :confused:

PhillyDee · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:28

Deadbeat said:
Really? Every place I've ever worked at is Apr - Mar

Likewise for jan-dec

for me. I work in engineering though.

Styles · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:31

Just out of interest, if the company you work for closes over the Christmas period can they make you use some of your yearly holiday entitlement during this time?

peige · 11 Oct 2011 at 17:35

Styles said:
Just out of interest, if the company you work for closes over the Christmas period can they make you use some of your yearly holiday entitlement during this time?

If the contract says so then yes. We have to save 3/4 days depending on how it falls. Makes for a nice break so nobody minds.

The royal wedding was an "extra", you won't necessarily get an extra days holiday this year, its more that you were forced to use one of your own days off for them (same applied for the millennium one)