£9UK law · England & Wales

UK Holiday Policy Template

A Working Time Regulations 1998 compliant holiday policy. Covers accrual, notice, carry-over, public holidays and the post-Bear Scotland approach to holiday pay. £9.

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Editable Word (.docx) + PDF · Re-download any time · UK GDPR compliant

Legal background

UK workers and employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (regulations 13 and 13A). Holiday pay must reflect "normal remuneration" — which post-Bear Scotland v Fulton (2014) and subsequent cases includes regular overtime, commission and certain allowances for the first 4 weeks of leave.

Sample excerpt

A short preview of the kind of clauses your generated document will contain. The full document is tailored to your inputs.

1. Entitlement. Full-time employees are entitled to [28] days' paid holiday per holiday year, inclusive of bank holidays — the statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks under the Working Time Regulations 1998. Part-time employees receive a pro-rata entitlement. 2. Holiday year. The holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December. 3. Notice and approval. To take holiday, you must give notice of at least twice the period of leave being requested, in line with regulation 15 of the Working Time Regulations 1998. Holiday requests are subject to approval based on operational needs. 4. Carry-over. Up to 5 days of unused holiday may be carried over into the following holiday year with line manager approval. Statutory regulation 13 leave that could not be taken due to long-term sickness or family leave may be carried over for up to 18 months in line with applicable case law. 5. Holiday pay. Holiday pay reflects normal remuneration. For the first 4 weeks of leave (regulation 13), this includes regular contractual overtime, commission and applicable allowances, in line with Bear Scotland v Fulton and subsequent case law. 6. Termination. On termination, payment will be made in lieu of any accrued but untaken statutory holiday.

What's in the template

✓Holiday year (calendar year, anniversary, fixed cycle)
✓Statutory minimum 5.6 weeks (28 days FTE inclusive of bank holidays — your choice)
✓Public holidays: included in entitlement or additional
✓Accrual for new starters, leavers, and irregular-hours workers
✓Notice rules (typically 2× the leave being requested)
✓Carry-over rules — including post-Covid 4-week regulation 13 carry-over
✓Holiday pay including regular overtime and commission (first 4 weeks)
✓Sickness during holiday
✓Payment in lieu on termination

Who this is for

→All UK employers with employees or workers
→Companies with overtime, commission or shift premiums
→HR functions documenting the post-Bear Scotland approach
→Employers with irregular-hours staff (post-Harpur Trust v Brazel)

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Frequently asked questions

Holiday pay for irregular-hours workers — how do I calculate?

Following Harpur Trust v Brazel (2022) and the 2024 Working Time amendments, irregular-hours workers can be paid 12.07% of total hours worked in the prior pay reference period for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024. The template references the current method.

Can I require employees to take holiday at certain times (e.g. Christmas closedown)?

Yes — under regulation 15, you can require holiday to be taken on specified days, provided you give notice equal to twice the period of leave you are requiring.

Do part-time staff get less holiday?

Pro-rata. They get the same 5.6 weeks, calculated against their normal working week. So someone working 3 days/week gets 16.8 days of holiday.

These templates are general legal information, not bespoke legal advice. For high-value or unusual matters, ask a solicitor to review.