Annual leave and holiday pay

Sue Dennehy Editor's message: While some staff may have been asked to take annual leave during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, for example due to a lack of available work, others may struggle to take their leave entitlement as a result of the key role they are playing in the nation’s efforts to fight the virus.

Under the Working Time Regulations, workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks’ holiday a year (which can include bank and public holidays). Responding to the coronavirus crisis, the Government has announced that workers will be able to carry over up to four weeks of their statutory annual leave entitlement into the next two leave years.

The Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 26 March 2020, state that leave may be carried over where it “was not reasonably practicable for a worker to take some of all of the leave” to which they are entitled to due to the “effects of the coronavirus (including on the worker, the employer or on the wider economy and society)”.

Given some of the current scenarios preventing staff from working, such as a need to self-isolate, caring responsibilities (including as a result of school closures) and a refusal to work where there is a risk of exposure to coronavirus, employers may also have to consider unpaid leave.

Sue Dennehy, employment law editor

New and updated

Date:

9 May 2022

Type:

Editor's choice

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9 May 2022

Type:

Commentary and analysis

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Date:

3 February 2022

Type:

Law reports

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Type:

Employment law manual

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Date:

25 January 2022

Type:

Podcasts and webinars

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We highlight key cases due to be decided in 2022 and discuss their impact on HR. These include cases on: vicarious liability, holiday pay, agency workers, compulsory retirement ages, and coronavirus-related health and safety cases. We will also be reflecting on the key decisions from last year and look forward to the caselaw trends likely to emerge this year.
Type:

Policies and documents

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A model letter to inform employees that they are being given extra wellbeing leave as a reward for work done during the coronavirus pandemic and to acknowledge the importance of maintaining good mental health.
Date:

15 December 2021

Type:

Commentary and analysis

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Are employees entitled to extra pay for working on bank holidays? What does an employer do if an employee refuses to work on a bank holiday? How should bank holidays be managed for part-time employees? Bank holidays can raise a myriad of issues for employers - we explain how to deal with some of the most common.
Date:

2 June 2021

Type:

Commentary and analysis

Employers' guide to Euro 2020: Five goals for your workplace

Employers should plan ahead to make the most of the positive impact that this large sporting event can have on staff mental health and morale. However, employers also need to take steps to minimise disruption, particularly as a number of games take place during normal office hours and in the early evening.

About this topic

HR and legal information and guidance relating to annual leave and holiday pay.