2.2 million people not getting legal minimum amount of holiday, study finds

Workers given unrealistic workloads or simply denied requests for annual leave, Trades Union Congress finds

Workers are losing out on an estimated £3bn of paid leave per year with women more likely than men to be affected (PA)

More than 2 million workers are not getting the minimum amount of holiday they are legally entitled to, according to new research.

Under law a full-time worker is entitled to 28 days off per year but many people are set unrealistic goals by their employer or are deliberately denied requests for leave, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) found.

Workers are losing out on an estimated £3bn of paid leave a year with women more likely than men to be affected.

Almost 15 per cent of staff in agriculture are not getting their holiday entitlement, making it the worst performing sector, the TUC said.

Close behind are mining and quarrying (14.7 per cent) and accommodation and food (13.9 per cent).

Across the whole economy, the researchers estimate that 2.2 million people – 9.2 per cent of women and 7.2 per cent of men – are missing out on annual leave.

​TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We’re now in peak holiday season. But while many workers are away enjoying time off with friends and family, millions are missing out. And that puts them at risk of burnout.

“Employers have no excuse for robbing staff of their well-earned leave. UK workers put in billions of hours of unpaid overtime as it is.

“The government must toughen up enforcement to stop bosses cheating staff out of their leave.“

A spokesperson for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “The government expects employers to treat their workers fairly and abide by employment law – including making sure workers get the holiday pay and leave they are legally entitled to.

“Through our Good Work Plan, we’re providing new rights to millions of workers, with holiday pay to be enforced for vulnerable workers. We’ve now consulted on this and will outline plans in due course.“