Carrying over annual leave UK: rules and practical examples

For a regular-hours worker, the statutory minimum is usually 5.6 weeks. Ordinary carry-over depends on a relevant agreement and is generally limited to the additional 1.6 weeks of statutory leave. Extra contractual holiday can have its own rules.

Keep statutory and enhanced holiday identifiable. A blanket rule such as 'only five days may be carried over' may describe a company benefit, but it does not settle the separate rights that arise when someone could not take statutory leave.

For regular-hours workers, sickness can create a right to carry over up to four weeks of statutory holiday. It must be used within 18 months of the end of the leave year in which it arose. The contract may allow more.

Irregular-hours and part-year workers have different carry-over rules and can carry over up to their full statutory entitlement where sickness prevents leave. Use the rules for the worker's category instead of applying a fixed number of days to everyone.

Where family-related statutory leave prevents the worker from taking holiday, the unused statutory entitlement must be carried into the following leave year. Plan this early for maternity, adoption or other extended family leave.

Carry-over rights can also arise if an employer fails to give a reasonable opportunity to take holiday, encourage its use or explain the risk of losing it. The amount depends on the worker category and circumstances. Do not delete a balance simply because the annual reminder was sent.

Keep each carry-over entry with its original leave year, reason, amount, applicable deadline and the person who checked it. Separate balances help staff use older leave before it expires.

Discuss a realistic plan for taking the leave. A positive balance in a system is of little use if the team never has enough cover to approve time off. Keep the agreed dates and any rejected requests alongside the record.