Annual holidays
At the end of each year of employment with any one employer, an employee becomes entitled to four weeks' paid annual holidays.
Employees can ask (in writing) to cash-up up to one week of their annual holidays each year. Employers can’t pressure employees to cash up annual holidays and requests to cash up can’t be included in employment agreements.
If an employee leaves before completing a full year of employment, annual holiday pay would be 8% of their gross earnings, less any holiday pay already received.
Genuinely casual employees (those who work intermittently) and fixed term employees can agree to receive holiday pay on a “pay as you go basis” if certain conditions are met. See the Department’s website for more information –link?
Employers can require employees to take annual holidays during a closedown period (as can happen over Christmas/New Year), providing they give at least 14 days’ notice. If an employer has a closedown period that includes public holidays, then the employee is entitled to paid public holidays if they would be otherwise working days for them.
