How much notice does an employee have to give to request holiday?

Unless your contract says otherwise, a worker has to give you as much notice as twice the length of the holiday.

If they want one day off, they must ask two days before. For two weeks off, they must ask four weeks before. This is set by the Working Time Regulations 1998.

Your contract can change how much notice a worker must give. You must still let them take their full holiday entitlement during the year.

Further reading

  • Managing clashing holiday requests

    When several people want the same weeks off, the law decides more of it than fairness does: notice deadlines, the duty to let people take their leave, and the discrimination risk in 'first come, first served'.