| I've heard a lot of misconceptions about what the | | | | entitlement means that anyone who is currently |
| new UK employee holiday entitlement laws will | | | | failing to get the bare minimum of 24 days off |
| involve, so here I shall do my best to explain who | | | | (including bank holidays) will be given four more to |
| is affected, and what the changes to the law | | | | play with by law, while those who already get 24 |
| mean for businesses in the United Kingdom. | | | | or more will see no change to their holiday |
| Firstly, before you (or your employees) go out | | | | entitlement, in all likelihood. But those who are |
| and start celebrating, it should be pointed out that | | | | expected to work bank holidays in those |
| the laws, which increase the number of paid | | | | industries do have extra holiday to look forward |
| statutory holidays employees are entitled to from | | | | to: their employers will have to provide 24 days |
| 20 to 24, are unlikely to be of much benefit to | | | | holiday, rising to 28 in 2009. Having to give each |
| the vast majority of business workers. This is | | | | employee this extra time is going to affect retail, |
| because the changes to the holiday entitlement | | | | hospitality and service industries a great deal and |
| law are mainly to tie up the loop hole that some | | | | they may find themselves needing to hire extra |
| employers were using which meant that the | | | | members of staff to supply backup for when the |
| United Kingdom's 8 annual public holidays could | | | | existing workers take out their allocated holiday |
| come out of employee's paid holiday allowance. In | | | | time. |
| 2009, the number is due to increase to 28 days | | | | I've heard a lot of the United Kingdom's workers |
| to allow the standard 20 days minimum holiday | | | | are getting very excited about the changes to |
| entitlement in addition to the 8 public holidays for | | | | the employee holiday entitlement law, because of |
| all workers in the United Kingdom. | | | | the commonly accepted urban myth that |
| So the good news for employers is that, unless | | | | workers are guaranteed public holidays on top of |
| you've been scrimping on paid holiday entitlement | | | | their 20 day statutory paid holiday allowance. The |
| anyway, you won't need to change the way your | | | | truth is that there is nothing in the law about this, |
| business operates. So who will it affect? Well | | | | and employers who previously did give their |
| according to the Employment relations minister, | | | | workers additional bank holiday entitlement were |
| Pat McFadden, around six million workers in the | | | | either doing it as an act of good will, or were |
| United Kindom. But where are they all? | | | | unaware that the law would have protected them |
| Well, the majority of the United Kingdom's work | | | | until the 1st October. It really is great news for |
| force who are affected are likely to be found in | | | | those estimated six million workers who currently |
| sectors that are required to work bank holidays, | | | | don't get very much holiday, but the majority of |
| namely hospitality, retail and service industries. | | | | the country is, sadly for them, unaffected. |
| Basically, the change to minimum holiday | | | | |