As the Easter holiday looms, Nottingham solicitors Massers is encouraging employers to keep on top of requests for holiday throughout the year to ensure the minimum legal entitlement of four weeks is taken.

Angela Shaw, employment solicitor at Massers said:  “It might seem crazy for workers not to take their legally entitled holidays. But the reason behind this is more worrying.  Employees should ensure that they take their full holiday entitlement, especially from a health and safety point of view.” 

Employers should also think twice before turning down holiday requests. “Work-life issues are becoming an integral part of business life now.  Employers turning a blind eye to it can create bad morale and absenteeism which hits productivity,” warns Angela Shaw. 

While many employers have flexible holiday entitlement procedures in place, they are not legally bound to let any unused holiday entitlement be carried over into the next holiday year.

Employers can also insist that holidays are taken at times convenient to them; they are only sanctioned with the prior authorisation; and are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

However, employers who do not allow an employee to take any holiday entitlement could be in breach of contract.

Under new proposals, workers will be entitled to four weeks’ paid holiday as well as 8 paid public or bank holidays.   Currently the public and bank holidays are included within the 4 weeks’ entitlement.

“With the likelihood of the statutory minimum entitlement of 20 days set to increase in October, the issue of holiday entitlement will only intensify,” said Angela Shaw.

Massers is advising businesses to ensure that there is a proper holiday request procedure in place and that all employees understand it; there are written contractual terms in place which confirm holiday entitlement; they monitor holiday entitlement of all of employees and that arrangements are put in place to cover the absence (so as not to create problems with the remaining workforce).