Carryover Caps & Forfeiture
UK · 5 calculatorsBeyond the protected 4 weeks, whether unused holiday carries over depends on your employer's policy. See what a 5, 8 or 10-day cap means for your unused days — and what a genuine use-it-or-lose-it policy actually requires.
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Beyond the protected circumstances above, carrying over the additional 1.6 weeks (8 days for a 5-day week) of statutory leave is only possible if your employer agrees — it isn't an automatic right. Many employers set their own contractual cap in a staff handbook or contract: some allow 5 days, some 10, some none at all.
A 'use it or lose it' policy (a zero-day cap) is only lawful if the employer can show it gave staff a genuine, encouraged opportunity to take their leave before the deadline — simply stating the policy in a contract isn't enough on its own. Where no valid agreement or genuine-opportunity case exists, unused leave beyond the protected 4 weeks may be forfeited at the end of the leave year.