How The New Employee Holiday Entitlement Laws Will Affect You

I've heard a lot of misconceptions about what theentitlement means that anyone who is currently
new UK employee holiday entitlement laws willfailing 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 lawplay 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 outentitlement, in all likelihood. But those who are
and start celebrating, it should be pointed out thatexpected to work bank holidays in those
the laws, which increase the number of paidindustries do have extra holiday to look forward
statutory holidays employees are entitled to fromto: their employers will have to provide 24 days
20 to 24, are unlikely to be of much benefit toholiday, rising to 28 in 2009. Having to give each
the vast majority of business workers. This isemployee this extra time is going to affect retail,
because the changes to the holiday entitlementhospitality and service industries a great deal and
law are mainly to tie up the loop hole that somethey may find themselves needing to hire extra
employers were using which meant that themembers of staff to supply backup for when the
United Kingdom's 8 annual public holidays couldexisting workers take out their allocated holiday
come out of employee's paid holiday allowance. Intime.
2009, the number is due to increase to 28 daysI've heard a lot of the United Kingdom's workers
to allow the standard 20 days minimum holidayare getting very excited about the changes to
entitlement in addition to the 8 public holidays forthe 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, unlessworkers are guaranteed public holidays on top of
you've been scrimping on paid holiday entitlementtheir 20 day statutory paid holiday allowance. The
anyway, you won't need to change the way yourtruth is that there is nothing in the law about this,
business operates. So who will it affect? Welland 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 theeither 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 workuntil the 1st October. It really is great news for
force who are affected are likely to be found inthose 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