Know how much holiday to give your staff

The majority of your workers are legally entitled to paid holidays. The following top tips will help you to successfully manage each worker's holiday entitlement.

Top tips for employers to manage staff holiday entitlement

1. Calculate holiday entitlement

A worker's statutory paid holiday entitlement starts on the first day of employment and is 5.6 weeks per year (28 days for a worker working a five or six-day week) - see holiday entitlement and statutory holiday pay.

2. Consider irregular hours

Ensure that you work out holiday entitlement for any staff who don't have regular working arrangements. These can include part-time workers, shift workers, and casual workers - see calculating holiday entitlement for atypical workers.

3. Include in employment contracts

Set out your employee's paid holiday entitlement in their employment contract to avoid any disagreements - see the employment contract.

4. Consider bank and public holidays

You do not have to give staff paid time off for bank or public holidays, but ensure that you include this in your employees' contracts. If you allow a worker time off for bank and public holidays over a significant period of time, be aware that it may become an implied term of their contract, even if it is not written in the contract of employment - see pay and time off on public and bank holidays.

5. Agree notice periods

Workers must give you notice if they wish to take leave. You can agree the notice period with them and you should set this out clearly in writing - see taking holiday - notice periods, restrictions, and sickness.