Annual leave is a statutory right in the UK, with each worker entitled to at least 5.6 weeks paid leave. For a full-time worker this equates to 28-days paid annual leave, which can include Bank Holidays. This is the minimum, with many organisations increasing the amount of annual leave, sometimes based on length of service, e.g. 6.6 weeks paid leave after 5-years of service. Some organisations also offer the opportunity to buy, and even sell annual leave, carryover unused annual leave from one year to another and provide additional time-away from the office, for instance volunteering days, wellbeing days and birthdays. In addition, some people love planning their annual leave, holidays and time-off in advance. In contrast there are others who need encouragement to both plan and even take time away. Therefore, the challenge of annual leave is enduring, with no perfect solution. However, we are starting to see a change with new ideas to promote guaranteeing annual leave. It’s refreshing to see how greater understanding and empathy with employee wellbeing has driven a shift in how organisations manage holiday booking. A number of our member organisations are pioneering the approach to guaranteeing annual leave, and over time, refining the limits and controls needed for the process to work seamlessly.

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This article was first published in the 2024 Best Practice Guide - Shaping the Future

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