Temperatures are set to soar to 34C this week as heatwave conditions may return to the UK, according to Sky News. But as many workers prepare to use their annual leave to soak up the sun, employment experts have reminded employees that falling ill on holiday does not have to mean losing those precious days off – provided they know the rules.
Workers in the UK are typically entitled to between 28 and 34 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) for full-time roles, up to the statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave. If illness strikes during a scheduled break, employees generally have the right to convert their holiday leave into sickness leave, recovering the holiday entitlement for future use.
“UK set for 34C heatwave; workers can reclaim annual leave if ill on holiday, subject to conditions.”
Employment and HR expert Amy Stokes, who goes by @Employment_with_Amy online, explained the conditions in a social media clip. “If you’re sick during your annual leave, can you get your holidays back?” she asked a member of the public, answering that yes, you lawfully can, but with important caveats.
“You can do all that, if the reason that you’re sick is a reason you’d be sick from work,” Stokes said. “So, for example, it can’t be that you’ve broken a leg because if you work in an office, they might say you could still [work] in an office chair. It needs to be something you’d be off sick from work with, but you can get [days] added back onto your annual leave.”
However, Stokes also warned of a potential financial downside. “Sometimes, people don’t end up [trying to get the days back] because if they get statutory sick pay rather than full sick pay, for the holiday they’ve just had, they’re actually getting less pay, so sometimes they keep it as annual leave,” she said.
The rules apply to statutory annual leave entitlements, but firms may have their own policies. If an employer provides additional “contractual” holiday days above the statutory minimum, the procedures for reclaiming those extra days will be determined by the company handbook. As the heatwave arrives, workers heading off on holiday may want to check their employer’s policy – and their own health – before they travel.