To be really pissed off about this or am I just a stupid trusting fool?

[SpringyReframed]

I've just left a job I have been in since June 2012. I took it under dire circumstances which were well documented on here, nasty divorce, no money, DV etc. It was a minimum wage job in a small business and I worked really hard. I was expecting a fair bit of holiday pay in my final pay packet.
However, I called in to get my P45 today for my ex boss to gleefully tell me (without me asking) that I am only due half a day holiday pay. It turns out that this is because the holiday year runs from 1st April till 31st March not 1st Jan to 31st Dec as I had thought. It looks like I missed out on about 10 days paid holiday in the previous holiday year. I am fucking gutted. I got a few days paid holiday over Christmas and that was it. I cannot believe that no one I worked with ever mentioned this as you would think people would be trying to get their left over days in before the year end. When I had a decent job and actually did the wages I used to tell people that they needed to take their holiday.
I know I am a bloody idiot but I had so much else going on that I trusted my boss. I suppose I had only worked for decent people prior to this. I am 54 do perhaps I've been lucky up to now?
I am expecting a good kicking posting on AIBU but perhaps that will do me good.

It doesn't matter if it wasn't explained to you. If it's written in your contract then surely they'll assume you can read. Shouldn't you get a pro-rata of time though? A/L year stop from Apr-Mar. I think 20 days (?) is statutory. Just say you worked 6 months of the A/L year then you'd get half of 20. Doesn't matter if you took all 10 in the first month or the last month. As long as it works out to 10 for the entire period of time. If you've received your full allocation then be thankful you don't owe them back for some of those days.

Has the couple of days holiday at Christmas been the only holiday you've had since you started working there last June? Did you request any other time off?

Sorry cross posted there

Ooops apologies. Just saw you said you missed 10 days last year (cos they obviously expired). Yes, ouch.

I have found a very good calculator for holidays on a government website. I just wish I had known about it before today! The annual leave for this working year has been calculated correctly by my boss and I agree it now I have been made aware that the year started on 1st April not 1st Jan.

Anyway thanks all. I am going to log off and try and calm down. I dont want this upset to have an impact on my performance in my new job tomorrow.

Good luck with your new job Springy. Onwards and upwards.

Good luck for tomorrow Springy. Hope this new job is heaps better

I'd be pretty damn mad in your position too. Any job I've ever been in either allows you to accumulate holiday and if you don't use it it rolls over to the next year, OR they would give me advance warning to take it. I think they've treated you very badly here and taken advantage of you. Best of luck in your new job.

As I am a single Mum I dont want to damage my social life

I live in a small rural community and run a business, I would never shaft anyone in this way,(apart from being wrong) it would be completely self defeating.

this cuts both ways,

You need to find a way to stare them down, and give them the, "I am disappointed in you, I didn't take you for the type who take advantage"

How do a local community view a small business that shafts a single mother that has been through a tough time?

I would make them think very carefully about that.