Many workers across the UK may be unknowingly missing out on unpaid holiday pay, but recent advice from Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert highlights that reclaiming these funds is easier than it seems. It’s vital that all employees, whether part-time, full-time, or temporary, understand their holiday pay rights, as failure to do so could leave them shortchanged. The good news is that workers who have left previous jobs without claiming unpaid holiday time may still be eligible to receive money they’re owed.
According to Money Saving Expert, all workers are entitled to paid holiday time, but not everyone is aware of the rules surrounding it. One recent example saw a 17-year-old kitchen porter successfully claim £240 in backdated holiday pay from two different employers after realising she had been missing out. With many workers unaware of their rights, it’s important to know what steps to take in order to claim what is owed.
Worker Status: Understanding Your Rights
The first step for any employee or worker is to verify their employment status, which directly influences their holiday entitlement. As Money Saving Expert explains, workers must check whether they are classified as employees or if their role falls under a different category, such as a gig worker. Employees who receive payslips are typically entitled to holiday pay, but confirming this through a contract or by asking an employer directly is always recommended.
Lola’s case, where she successfully reclaimed £240 after not knowing she was entitled to holiday pay, highlights just how important this step can be. In her situation, Lola was unaware that, as a kitchen porter, she was entitled to the statutory 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. Once she contacted her former employer, the pub agreed to pay her for the two years of holiday time she hadn’t taken, backdating her claim by £218.
How to Calculate and Claim Unpaid Holiday Pay
For full-time workers, holiday entitlement is calculated as 28 days of paid leave each year, but this can be different for part-time workers. According to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), part-time employees can calculate their entitlement by multiplying the number of days they work per week by 5.6. In addition, if a worker leaves their job before taking their full holiday entitlement, they are entitled to a payment for unused holiday time.
Lola also successfully recovered £23.87 from a cafe where she worked the previous summer, demonstrating how workers can claim holiday pay from former employers even after leaving the job. The process, though potentially daunting, can often be resolved informally, with Acas advising that starting a conversation with the employer could be the simplest way to address the issue.
Understanding and claiming holiday pay entitlement can lead to significant financial benefits, especially for young workers like Lola who might not yet be fully aware of their rights. By checking employment status and keeping track of holiday time, workers can ensure they receive everything they’re owed, whether during employment or after leaving a job.
