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Workplace Answers

Holiday & Leave

We help you understand your entitlement and how to book time off. From holiday pay to carrying leave forward, get clear support for your time away from work.

Popular workplace questions

Check the legal minimum and understand how your own holiday allowance is calculated.

Understand when and why an employer can legally say no to your time-off dates.

Find out if you can move unused holiday days into the next leave year.

Learn how to reclaim holiday days if you fall ill during your annual leave.

Check your rights to pay for accrued but untaken holiday days when leaving your job.

Understand the rules around employers specifying when you must take your leave.

Learn how holiday pay is worked out, especially if you work irregular hours or earn commission.

Check if bank holidays are included in your statutory minimum or given as extra leave.

Real Holiday & Leave Situations

Choose the situation that sounds most like what has happened at work.

SITUATION

My manager refused my holiday request.

Find out why an employer might turn down a request and what steps you can take to reach an agreement.

SITUATION

I became sick while on annual leave.

Learn how to reclaim your holiday days if you fall ill during your booked time away from work.

SITUATION

I'm leaving my job with holiday left to take.

Understand your right to be paid for unused annual leave when your employment comes to an end.

SITUATION

My employer says I must take holiday over Christmas.

Check the rules about employers nominating specific days as annual leave for site closures.

SITUATION

I don't think my holiday pay is correct.

Guide to how holiday pay should be computed, including for workers with varying weekly hours.

SITUATION

I work irregular hours and don't understand my holiday entitlement.

Learn how to calculate your annual leave allowance when your working pattern changes from week to week.

SITUATION

My employer says I can't carry unused holiday forward.

Understand when you have a legal right to roll over leave and how to discuss this with your HR department.

SITUATION

I returned from maternity leave and I'm unsure about my holiday.

Guidance on how annual leave accrues while you are away on maternity or other family-related leave.

Helpful tools

WorkAnswers AI Tools

Use WorkAnswers AI Tools to help you understand letters, policies or emails about holiday and leave.

Letter Templates

Download plain-English letter templates to ask for holiday, request changes or raise concerns.

Talk It Through

Where available, book a short one-to-one conversation to talk through your situation with a specialist.

Looking for something else?

For maternity, paternity, adoption, parental leave and caring responsibilities.

For holiday pay calculations, deductions and payroll issues.

For sickness absence, stress and long-term health issues affecting leave.

For final holiday entitlement, unused leave and leaving employment.

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