Statutory minimum holiday entitlement increases

The second phase of a two-part rise in statutory minimum holiday entitlement results in an increase from 4.8 weeks to 5.6 weeks.

The Working Time Regulations 1998 came into force on 1 October 1998. Under regulation 13 workers are entitled to four weeks' leave in each leave year.The Work and Families Act 2006 received royal assent on 21 June 2006, and included authorisation for the Secretary of State to introduce regulations increasing annual holiday entitlement. The resulting Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2007 came into force on 1 October 2007 and inserted regulation 13A into the Working Time Regulations 1998. This provides for 1.6 weeks' additional annual leave, implemented in two phases. The first 0.8-week increase was implemented on 1 October 2007. The remaining 0.8 week's leave will be introduced on 1 April 2009.

Employers are permitted to pay in lieu of the additional leave until 1 April 2009. No payment in lieu of the additional leave is permitted from this date. A 'relevant agreement' may provide for the additional leave to be carried forward into the leave year following the one in which it falls due.

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