How much annual leave can I carry over?

Answered by Tracy Green

In most situations, employees and workers should use their statutory annual leave in their current leave year and are generally not permitted to carry over holidays unless permitted by their contract or allowed by their employer.

However, the Working Time Regulations have been amended to create an exemption relating specifically to COVID-19. Employees and workers can now carry over up to four weeks of their leave into the next two years if it’s not reasonably practicable to use in that leave year due to coronavirus although this is up to your employer who should advise if this change.

Your employer may still require you to use up annual leave and you don’t have an automatic right to carry this leave over. The regulations provide flexibility where the leave cannot be taken due to COVID-19.