Holiday Carry-Over Rules (UK)
Updated November 2026 · Free · No sign-up
Calculate UK holiday carry-over — which of your 5.6 weeks can roll into next year: the 4-week Euro-leave’s limited carry rights (sickness: 18 months; employer-failure carry), the 1.6 UK weeks’ agreement-based carry, and contractual extras.
Quick answer: The 5.6 weeks split for carry purposes: the first 4 weeks — generally must be taken in-year, EXCEPT sickness (carry up to 18 months) and where the employer failed to enable/encourage leave; the extra 1.6 weeks — carry by written agreement (one year); contractual extras — whatever the contract says.
The Three-Layer Cake
| Layer | Carry rule |
|---|---|
| 4 weeks (the Euro-derived core) | Use in-year — UNLESS: sickness prevented it (carry, take within 18 months); family leave prevented it (carries); or the employer failed to give the opportunity / warn of loss (carries until remedied — the codified Max-Planck rule) |
| 1.6 weeks (the UK top-up) | Carry up to one year by WRITTEN agreement — otherwise lapses |
| Contractual extras | Whatever the contract/policy says — commonly 5 days with use-by dates |
Worked Examples
Example 1 — ordinary year. 28 days, 20 taken, no special reason: the 8 remaining are at risk — up to 8 can carry ONLY where agreement covers the 1.6-week slice (8 days of it for a 5-day worker) and policy allows; default: lapse. Book them.
Example 2 — six months off sick. The 4-week core carries automatically, usable within 18 months of the leave year’s end — ~20 days protected for a 5-day worker.
Example 3 — the never-told worker. A contractor reclassified as a worker who never got paid leave: the right accumulates across YEARS (the employer never enabled it) — payable in full at termination; the gig-economy back-pay cases run exactly this way.
Practical Rules
Employers must actively enable leave and warn (specifically and timely) that unbooked days will lapse — generic January emails may not suffice; records of the warnings decide carry disputes. Carried leave is paid at the correct rate including OT patterns. On termination, ALL accrued untaken statutory leave pays out regardless of carry rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I carry holiday into next year?
The 1.6-week UK slice: with written agreement (1 year). The 4-week core: only where sickness/family leave blocked it or the employer failed to enable leave — otherwise in-year.
How long does sick-leave carry last?
18 months from the end of the leave year it accrued in — for the 4-week core blocked by sickness.
What if my employer never told me to take leave?
The core leave carries (and accumulates) until they remedy it — the codified Max-Planck principle; it all pays out at termination.
Does carried leave expire at termination?
No — all accrued untaken statutory leave converts to pay at exit, whatever the carry rules said.
Can a policy say use-it-or-lose-it?
For the 1.6 weeks and contractual extras, yes (with agreement/clear terms); for the 4-week core only after the employer genuinely enabled and warned.
✓ Formula verified • Last updated: November 3, 2026