Statutory minimum annual leave corresponds to four weeks: normally twenty days for a five-day working week. Contractual and collective arrangements may provide more.
What needs checking
Carry-over and expiry require attention to employer information duties, the opportunity to take leave, illness and the distinction between statutory and additional leave. Do not assume that all unused leave expires automatically at year-end.
Practical next steps
Keep accurate balances and individual communications. On termination, distinguish leave that can still be taken from a payment claim for untaken entitlement. A general release from work does not automatically resolve the leave account.
Prepare for the review
Send the relevant contract or policy, a short chronology, the correspondence and any document showing a deadline. Explain the outcome you need and any steps already taken.
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Updated: 8 November 2026.