The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or simply the UK, maintains a strong system of employment laws that protect workers’ rights, which is consistent with the procedures seen in many European nations. Labor laws, which are also known as employment laws, are designed to define the relationship between employers and employees.
Employees in the UK are entitled to a variety of approved leaves under the provisions of these employment laws. This covers a set amount of paid time off per year for a variety of reasons, including yearly vacations, sick days, injury days, parental leave, and bereavement days.
Although the United Kingdom observes public holidays and bank holidays, on which many businesses—not just banks—close, workers are not entitled to compensation from their employers for time missed on these holidays.
This talk will take a close look at the various types of leave that are available to all employees in the UK and explain the subtleties that are governed by British labor laws and regulations.
In the UK, employees are legally entitled to paid yearly leave. For full-time employees, the statutory leave entitlement is 28 days, or 5.6 weeks. Employees’ real yearly leave benefits depend on whether they work full- or part-time.
5.6 weeks of paid leave are also granted to part-time employees; however, the amount of leave taken is based on the average number of workdays. For instance, a part-time worker who puts in 2.5 days a week would be eligible for 14 days of leave annually (2.5 × 5.6 = 14).
Workers who have variable work schedules can also compute their annual leave. Even if workers put in more overtime or work more than five days a week, the maximum amount of time that companies are required to provide paid leave is 28 days.
An employer of record like Marzuna can assist your business in offering different forms of paid time off to your staff members in addition to annual leave.
The nations of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland make up the United Kingdom. Thus, each nation may have its own laws and traditions, including those pertaining to holidays.
In addition to the eight annual national holidays celebrated across the United Kingdom, there are a number of holidays celebrated exclusively in Scotland and Northern Ireland, such as Saint Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne. Additionally, May 8, 2023, will be observed as a one-time national holiday in honor of King Charles III’s coronation.
It is not legally compulsory of employers to offer paid time off on bank holidays or other public holidays.
| Holiday | Date for 2023 |
| New Year’s Day | January 1 |
| St. Patrick’s Day (Northern Ireland only) | March 17 |
| Good Friday | April 7 |
| Easter Monday | April 10 |
| Early May bank holiday | May 1 |
| Coronation of King Charles III | May 8 |
| Spring bank holiday | May 29 |
| Battle of the Boyne (Northern Ireland only) | July 12 |
| Summer bank holiday | August 28 |
| St. Andrew’s Day (Scotland only) | November 30 |
| Christmas Day | December 25 |
| Boxing Day | December 26 |
Employees have the right to avail themselves of sick leave when they fall ill. In the event that an employee becomes unwell during their annual leave, they are permitted to take sick days for the duration of their illness instead of utilizing their allotted annual leave days.
In cases where an illness extends beyond seven consecutive calendar days, employees are obligated to furnish their employers with medical evidence of the ailment, commonly referred to as a fit note or sick note. Issued by a medical professional following an assessment of the employee’s fitness for work, the sick note indicates whether the employee is “may be fit for work” or “not fit for work.” The employee is required to provide one copy of the sick note to their employer and retain another for personal records.
Acceptable professionals authorized to issue a sick note include general practitioners, registered nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare practitioners. Healthcare professionals are obliged to provide sick notes free of charge for illnesses lasting over seven days, while a fee may be charged for assessments and sick notes if the sickness is of shorter duration.
If obtaining a sick note is not feasible, an alternative document known as an Allied Health Professional Health and Work Report can be submitted to the employer with their consent. This report can be generated by a broader spectrum of professionals, including speech and language therapists, paramedics, dietitians, and various other specialists.
For illnesses lasting less than seven days, employees can self-certify their sickness upon returning to work. Employers and employees can mutually agree on the process for self-certification, which may include submitting the self-certification via email.
In instances of prolonged illness preventing work, employees may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for a maximum period of 28 weeks. Agricultural Sick Pay is an additional form of sick pay applicable to employees earning the agricultural minimum wage, employed before October 1, 2013, and contractually entitled to Agricultural Sick Pay.
Upon returning to work post-illness, employers should accommodate any necessary adjustments to the workplace, particularly for employees with disabilities or health conditions. These adjustments, known as reasonable adjustments, may include modified working hours, installation of ramps, or changes to equipment.
Companies can surpass mandatory minimums by developing policies that attract and retain top talent. An employer of record, such as Marzuna, can assist in creating competitive benefits packages encompassing various types of leave, including annual leave, sick leave, and other legally mandated leave. For tailored guidance on implementing comprehensive leave policies, consult with our experts at Marzuna today.
In the UK, employees are entitled to time off in the event that they become parents, give birth themselves, or adopt a child. Maternity leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, parental bereavement leave, and adoption leave are all included in this category. When employees take these kinds of leaves, their employment rights and conditions are safeguarded. They are entitled to go back to work after taking a break.
Workers may also take unpaid parental leave to care for their children in a variety of situations, such as when the child is adjusting to a new school or daycare center or just wants to spend more time with their family.
When two partners adopt, foster, surrogate, or have a baby, they are eligible to take some forms of leave together. Employees who take this kind of leave, known as Shared Parental Leave (SPL), are entitled to Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) in addition to time off.
During the first year following the birth or adoption of the child, both partners may split up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of compensation. This leave may be taken by either employee continuously in blocks or all at once.
Employees must take less than 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and use the remaining leave as SPL in order to qualify for both ShPP and SPL. Additionally, the employee must spend the remaining salary as ShPP and take less than 39 weeks of maternity or adoption pay.
In the UK, pregnant workers are entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. The first 26 weeks of maternity leave are known as Ordinary Maternity Leave. As early as eleven weeks prior to the baby’s due date, leave may be taken. Additional Maternity Leave, which lasts for an extra 26 weeks, comes after Ordinary Maternity Leave. After giving birth, maternity leave must last at least two weeks. If the worker is employed in a factory, they must take four weeks of paid maternity leave.
Up to 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay are covered. 90% of the employee’s weekly wages are paid out for the first six weeks, and for the next thirty-three weeks, the employee will be paid either £156.66 or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is less.
If the baby passes away before the 24th week of pregnancy, workers are entitled to maternity leave.
Workers who partner with a surrogate mother or father, or who adopt a child, are entitled to Paid Time Off and Paternity Leave. Depending on your eligibility, you can take one or two weeks of paid time off for paternity leave.
If an employee is hurt at work, they may be entitled to compensation.
Time off from work to grieve the loss of a family member is known as bereavement leave. In the UK, employees who experience the death of a child under the age of eighteen or who give birth to a stillborn child after 24 weeks of pregnancy are entitled to two weeks of Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave. 90% of the employee’s average weekly salary or £156.66 per week is the statutory amount for parental bereavement pay.
Businesses may extend the length of bereavement leave, but they are only entitled to reimbursement for the two weeks of statutory pay for each employee that passes away.
When formulating a leave policy within the United Kingdom, employers must incorporate the essential statutory leave entitlements. However, companies have the flexibility to exceed these minimum statutory provisions in order to attract top-tier talent. This might involve offering extended time off and additional annual vacation days as integral components of a comprehensive benefits package.
For businesses with global aspirations, the process of hiring employees for remote positions in the United Kingdom or any of the 160 other countries worldwide can be streamlined. Engaging a proficient employer of record, such as Marzuna, facilitates the recruitment of remote staff effortlessly.
Employers of record excel in handling various human resources responsibilities, which encompass:
For seamless hiring processes, precise payroll management, benefits administration, compliance with labor laws, and timely payroll tax payments, consider partnering with a global employer of record like Marzuna. To explore the capabilities of such a service, book a demonstration today.
