Holiday Entitlement Documents
This collection brings together practical holiday entitlement and annual leave documents for employers and HR teams managing holiday requests, carry-over arrangements, and related absence issues.
The documents are designed to help employers deal with annual leave in a clearer and more consistent way, reducing uncertainty over requests, entitlement, and what happens when holiday arrangements do not go to plan.
Annual leave requests and holiday carry-over
Employers can use the Annual Leave Request Form to record holiday requests properly. Where a request cannot be agreed, the Letter Declining An Employee’s Request For Annual Leave provides a written response.
The Carry Over Of Holiday Entitlement Agreement can be used where holiday entitlement is being carried forward.
Holiday entitlement notices and related letters
The collection also includes the Letter Designating Holiday For An Employee Who Has Not Taken Full Annual Leave Entitlement and letters for dealing with non-return from annual leave. Where an employee has not returned as planned, the Letter to an employee who has not returned as planned from annual leave helps employers follow up in writing.
Together, these documents support clearer communication with employees and provide a more structured approach to managing holiday entitlement issues.
Holiday documents for day-to-day absence management
This collection is intended for the practical administration of annual leave rather than sickness absence or SSP. Keeping these documents together makes it easier for employers and managers to find the right template when dealing with holiday requests, carry-over, and related leave problems.
Holiday Entitlement Documents is part of Employment. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Employment for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need to manage annual leave requests and holiday administration in my business? +
To manage holiday consistently in writing, you need five templates covering the main practical situations employers face: an Annual Leave Request Form to record requests, a Letter Declining An Employee's Request For Annual Leave, a Carry Over Of Holiday Entitlement Agreement, a Letter Designating Holiday For An Employee Who Has Not Taken Full Annual Leave Entitlement and a Letter to an employee who has not returned as planned from annual leave.
Can I refuse an employee's annual leave request, and what notice do I have to give? +
Usually yes, but not if the contract says otherwise. Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 an employer can refuse a holiday request, and you must give notice of refusal at least as long as the period of leave requested: for example, five days' notice for a five-day request. This is the default position though, and if the employment contract sets out different notice rules, what's in the contract will apply instead. You cannot refuse all annual leave, as employees must be able to take their full statutory entitlement of 5.6 weeks (28 days for a full-time five-day worker) during the leave year. The Simply-Docs Letter Declining An Employee's Request For Annual Leave provides a written record of the refusal.
Can I tell an employee when to take their annual leave if they have not used it by the end of the leave year? +
Yes, unless the contract or a relevant agreement says otherwise. The Working Time Regulations 1998 allow an employer to designate specific dates on which an employee must take annual leave, provided you give notice at least twice as long as the period of leave required. For example, to require five days you must give at least ten days' notice. This right can be varied or excluded by a relevant agreement, such as the contract or a workforce agreement, so check there is nothing that restricts it before you give notice. The Simply-Docs Letter Designating Holiday For An Employee Who Has Not Taken Full Annual Leave Entitlement suits this situation and provides a written record of the instruction.
Can holiday entitlement be carried over to the next leave year and do I need a written agreement? +
Statutory holiday must normally be taken within the leave year. From 1 January 2024, up to four weeks can carry over without agreement where sickness or statutory leave such as maternity leave prevented taking it, or where the employer failed to give a proper opportunity. The additional 1.6 weeks, or any contractual leave above the statutory minimum, requires employer agreement. A written agreement such as the Simply-Docs Carry Over Of Holiday Entitlement Agreement records the arrangement and reduces disputes about remaining leave.
An employee has not come back from annual leave as planned. What should I do and what can I send them? +
First contact the employee by phone and in writing to check for a welfare or genuine emergency reason, since failure to return from annual leave on the agreed date is treated as unauthorised absence. Acas guidance recommends making reasonable attempts before considering disciplinary action. Use the Simply-Docs Letter to an employee who has not returned as planned from annual leave to follow up formally, record the absence as unauthorised and ask them to make contact. Depending on the explanation given on return, you may then consider your disciplinary procedure.
How do I record annual leave requests consistently and avoid disputes about what was agreed? +
Using a standard written form for all requests is the most straightforward way to avoid disputes. The Simply-Docs Annual Leave Request Form captures the relevant details for each request so that both the employer and the employee have a clear record of what was applied for and whether it was approved or declined. Combined with a consistent approval process, a written form reduces the risk of misunderstandings about entitlement balances and the timing of leave.
