Additional leave compliance rules and complexities

Annual leave

The longer an employee stays in a role, the more statutory paid annual leave they get. For their first year in a role, they get 6 days’ paid leave a year. After 1 year in a role, employees get 9 days’ paid leave a year. After 5 years in a role, they get 12 days’ annual leave a year. Finally, if employees stay in a role for 15 years, they get a minimum of 15 days’ annual leave a year.

Sick leave

Employees’ paid sick leave entitlement increases at the same rate: 6 days for their first year in a role, 9 days after 1 year, and so on.

Maternity and paternity leave

Mothers get up to 8 weeks of maternity leave, but only fathers who work in the private sector can request paternity leave – which is unpaid, at that. Though there are no statutory arrangements for paid shared parental leave, parents can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave with full job protection.