Annual Leave Rules in United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, most employees are entitled to a minimum of 28 days of paid annual leave, which includes public holidays. This entitlement is outlined in the Working Time Regulations 1998, which implements the European Working Time Directive. Employees earn this leave based on their working hours, and part-time employees are entitled to a pro-rata amount. It is important to note that employers can choose to include public holidays as part of the statutory leave entitlement, and they may also offer additional leave as part of their employment contracts.

Employees have the right to take their annual leave and should request it in advance, allowing their employer to manage workloads. Employers cannot unreasonably refuse leave requests, but they can set rules regarding when leave can be taken, particularly in busy periods. If employees do not take their leave within the leave year, they may lose it unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as long-term sickness. For further details on employee rights regarding annual leave, you can refer to the official UK government website: Holiday entitlement rights.