Annual leave and absences

Explore our helpful articles on parental leave, sick pay, calculating annual leave for your staff and much, much more.

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Our guide to compassionate leave in the UK.
Learn how compassionate leave works in the UK. Understand employee rights, time off for dependants, bereavement rules and how to build a fair leave policy.
Unlimited holiday policy: UK rules and risks
Unlimited holiday policy explained (2026/2027): UK legal rules, holiday pay, risks, and best practices for employers offering unlimited holiday leave.
How to calculate holiday pay for casual workers in the UK?
Holiday pay for casual workers in the UK (2026): learn how to calculate entitlement, apply the 12.07% rule and stay compliant with employment law.
Bereavement leave UK 2026/27 employer rights and pay rules
Practical guide to bereavement leave UK 2026/27: statutory rights, bereavement pay, compassionate leave, and how to build a compliant bereavement policy for your team.
Paternity Leave | A Guide For Employers
Read about your responsibilities as an employer when it comes to paternity leave, from statutory pay to shared paternity leave, legislation and beyond.
UK maternity leave and pay - 2026 employer’s guide
Discover everything businesses need to know about UK maternity leave & pay in 2026, including statutory rates, eligibility, redundancy protection, KIT days.
Zero hours contract holiday pay: 2026 UK employer's guide
A complete guide for UK employers on zero hours contract holiday pay, including 2026 updates, calculation methods, and statutory rights for irregular workers.
Rolled-up holiday pay: UK employer's guide & calculations
A complete guide for UK employers on rolled-up holiday pay for 2026 and beyond. Learn about irregular hours, 12.07% calculations, and HMRC compliance.
UK bank holidays for 2026 & beyond - employer guide
Discover the confirmed, official UK bank holiday dates for 2026, 2027 & 2028, regional differences, employer obligations, and holiday entitlement rules.
Paid sick leave in the UK: 2025/26 policy guide
Learn the essentials of UK paid sick leave, including Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rates, fit note rules and how to create a fair sickness policy for your business.
Holiday pay calculation guide for UK staff | Payfit
Learn how to calculate holiday pay for regular, part-time & irregular workers - updated for 2025/26, including the latest rules on rolled-up holiday pay.
UK annual leave calculator & how to guide 2026 | Payfit
Calculate employee holiday entitlement with our UK annual leave calculator. Updated for 2026, covering rolled-up pay, irregular hours & carry-over rules.
Employer’s guide to KIT & SPLIT days, & related pay & rights
What are KIT and SPLIT days? Get clear guidance on employer responsibilities, employee rights, payment calculations, and managing a smooth return to work.
What is Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)? A UK employer’s guide
Understand Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) with our complete guide for UK HR & Finance leaders, covering eligibility, rates, waiting days, forms & payroll processing.
Bank holidays UK: employment law guide 2026
A guide to UK bank holiday employment law in 2026: Calculate entitlements and learn about flexible working impacts on bank holidays.
Holiday Purchase Schemes - What Employers Need To Know
Holiday purchase schemes are a great way for employers to be more flexible with annual leave. Read the merits of holiday buy back right here.
Neonatal Care Leave & Pay In The UK - A Guide
Understand your obligations, ensure compliance, and fostering a supportive workplace, in order to help you navigate this legislation with confidence.
Prenatal Leave Explained for UK Employers
Prenatal leave, is a crucial right for expectant mothers and their partners. Find out more about your obligations around this entitlement
UK adoption leave guide: everything employers need
UK adoption leave explained: statutory pay rates, eligibility criteria, notice periods, documentation required and how to create compliant adoption policies.
Absence Management Processes - A Guide For Businesses
We explore the concept of absence management, how businesses can better oversee it, plus the benefits of improving sickness and absence management.
Holiday Pay - How It Works, How To Calculate & Set Up A Policy
Read our complete guide to holiday pay for employers, including what it is, how it works, how to calculate it and setting up a company policy.
Coronavirus: how has holiday entitlement been affected?
How has holiday entitlement been affected by coronavirus and what rights do employers and employees have?
Calculate SSP rates for the 2026/2027 tax year
What is the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rate in the UK, and how do you calculate SSP for all of your staff? This guide explains it all.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): UK employer’s guide
Understand UK Statutory Maternity Pay with our comprehensive guide to help growing businesses navigate SMP eligibility, rates, calculations, & HMRC claims.
Gardening Leave UK: Employer Guide 2026/27
Gardening leave lets employers pay staff to stay home during notice. Learn the UK rules, employee rights and how to draft a compliant clause.
Occupational sick pay UK explained: rules and entitlement
Occupational sick pay explained for UK employers. Learn who qualifies, how OSP differs from SSP, what policies should include and how it works in 2026.
Maternity Leave In The UK - A Guide For Employers
Maternity leave is a statutory right in the UK for all female employees who are expecting or have had a child. Discover the specifics here.
Part-time workers’ holiday entitlement - guide & calculator
Calculate part-time holiday entitlement in 2025-2026. Learn about calculation methods, workers' rights, and recent legislative changes for UK employers.
UK annual leave: the 2026 HR guide for growing businesses
Guide for HR & finance leaders of growing UK businesses on managing annual leave in 2026. Covers statutory entitlement, new holiday pay rules...
Holiday pay, overtime & UK employment law
New rules on overtime and holiday pay for 2025-2026 mean that overtime needs to be taken into account when calculating holiday pay. Find out more here.
UK sick pay entitlement - information for employers
Learn about UK sick pay entitlement in 2025-2026, including the latest SSP rates, how many sick days are allowed per year, and employer obligations.
A Guide To UK Sabbatical Leave For HR Professionals
Wondering what entitlements employees have around sabbatical leave and whether you should create a leave policy? Learn all about it in our guide.
Leave & Absence Management Made Easier
More than being just a payroll software, Payfit makes leave and absence management a breeze for UK HR teams. Find out how here.
Shared Parental Leave & Pay | An Employer's Guide
Read our free employer’s guide to Shared Parental Leave and pay, including advice on how to create and administer a company-wide policy.
Bank holidays in UK for 2021
While coronavirus restrictions may make holidaying in 2021 seem like a distant dream, it is always worth knowing on which days the UK's bank holidays will be taking place.
Menstrual leave UK: What employers need to know in 2026
Is menstrual leave available in the UK? Discover current UK law, the 2026 Parliamentary debate, and practical support options for employers.
Holiday Entitlement UK: Employer Guide To 2026/27 Compliance
Navigate holiday entitlement UK rules for 2026/27. Learn statutory minimums, calculate holiday pay, and ensure HMRC payroll compliance.
Statutory Sick Pay Changes 2026/27: Employer Guide
Statutory sick pay changes from April 2026: day-one payments, no earnings limit, and a new £123.25 rate. What UK employers must update.
Unpaid leave UK: employer rights, rules and payroll 2026/27
Unpaid leave in the UK carries real compliance risk. Learn which types are statutory, how they affect holiday, pension and payroll, and what employers must do in 2026/27
What is attendance management and how should UK businesses manage it?
Attendance management in the UK explained: learn legal requirements, SSP rules, and how to track employee attendance effectively in 2026.
What is time off in lieu (TOIL) in the UK?
Time off in lieu (TOIL) in the UK explained. Discover key guidelines on how it works, legal rules, and how to calculate TOIL for extra hours worked in 2026.
UK employer's sickness pay & absence leave management guide
Our guide for UK employers & HR & Finance managers covers the essentials of statutory sickness pay & best practices for leave and absence management.
UK Long Term Sick Leave - A Guide For Employers
Supporting UK team members on long-term sick leave isn't easy. Read our guide to all things long-term here, to remain both compliant and compassionate.
Holiday Management Software - What Is It & How Does It Work?
Calculating & ensuring holiday pay reflects in your payroll is tricky. Holiday management software makes this a thing of the past. Find out how here.
Carer’s Leave - How Will the New Entitlement Work?
HMRC recently opened a consultation on carer’s leave entitlements in the UK. We cover the latest guidance published to tell you what we know so far.