Most workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year – if you haven’t been paid properly, you could be owed money
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) website has revealed how one person reclaimed over £12,000 from her employer after missing holiday pay.
Most workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which can include bank holidays. This applies even if you are part-time or work irregular hours, or if you’re a temporary or seasonal worker.
MSE reader Joanne, 59, retired from her full-time financial services role in 2021, but stayed on as a casual worker and returned on a part-time basis in 2023.
She works around 25 hours a week, but told MSE that she had not considered whether she would be entitled to holiday pay as her hours were irregular.
After contacting her HR department, she “nearly fell over” after discovering she was owed £12,000. Joanne received the money in her December pay packet, which came shortly after she had used some of her retirement money to fund a private hip replacement.
She told MSE: “It was an absolute godsend as I’d been diagnosed as having severe arthritis earlier in the year… The waiting list in my area is really long and I could not face that length of time in the pain that I was in – I wasn’t sleeping.”
MSE says you are likely entitled to holiday pay if you receive payslips from your employer – but check your contract to be sure.
If you are a part-time worker, you can calculate how much holiday you should get by multiplying the number of days a week you work by 5.6, though you may also be entitled to bank holidays on top.
If you believe you are entitled to holiday pay, you should raise your concern with your employer about either taking that time off, or getting paid for the unused holiday.
If your employer refuses to co-operate, MSE says your next step would be to raise a formal complaint. Your organisation should have its own grievance procedure.
After this, your other option would be to consider making a claim to an employment tribunal. MSE explains: “However, taking this route is a big decision to make, so get all of the facts together first and strongly consider contacting Acas or Citizens Advice for free guidance and support before going ahead.”
In general, self-employed people do not receive statutory holiday pay.
