Annual holiday entitlement to increase

Employers need to plan now for their employees' increased holiday entitlement which applies from this October. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR - formerly the DTI) has announced that the Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2007 have been made, and has produced a holiday entitlement ready reckoner for employers online.

The new rules increase the holiday entitlement for people who work a five-day week to 24 days from 1 October 2007, and to 28 days from 1 April 2009 (delayed from 2008). As before, the entitlement operates pro-rata for part-time workers and includes bank holidays.

The ready reckoner provides calculations for part-time workers, and workers whose holiday year does not start in October. Some employees will have part-days as holiday. An online calculator will be available shortly on the Business Link website.

The BERR website also contains detailed guidance and frequently asked questions on the new rules, and model staff statements and paragraphs for contracts of employment will be posted shortly.

1 October 2007

Access the ready reckoner and FAQs on the BERR website