To think a lot of employers get away with not paying holiday pay?

[MondayAlready1]

I employ several people on zero hours contracts, this includes students on summer break. Several of them have been surprised to receive holiday pay from us as other jobs they've had don't pay it. I'm happy to do the right thing but it's frustrating to be competing with other businesses who don't.

People with teenagers (over school-leaving age) doing summer jobs or part-time work - do they get holiday pay or realise they're entitled to it?

Doubt it. My old contract stated I had to work x amount of days to accumulate holidays and I would imagine most summer jobs don’t last long enough to accumulate any.

Sorry! Don't know what happened there.

But, as I read it, there's no legal minimum amount of time you have to work to start being entitled to holiday pay - you're entitled even if you only do one shift.

Can you get holiday pay for temporary or very part time work? That's actually news to me.

I worked Saturdays and some holidays in a shoe shop from 16-18 and fairly sure there was no holiday pay. I could say I was on holiday and couldn't work occasionally but I think that meant I didn't get paid. That was a long time ago though. We still got double pay for Boxing Day/New Year's Day and time and a half on Bank Holidays back then.

A lot of people who employ casual workers still pay rolled up holiday pay, ie an element of holiday pay is paid with your wages. It’s not lawful as holiday should be paid at the time it’s taken but some companies still use it, especially for casual or zero hours staff.

I don't pay holiday pay to my cleaner, and do feel a bit guilty about it. But I wouldn't expect holiday pay for a freelance or temporary role myself

I had the same thing when I was running my own business. Staff were shocked that they got holiday pay, or paid for training, or for trial shifts, etc. I think there are some small business owners who genuinely don't understand what they're supposed to do, but I don't feel that's a legitimate excuse not to educate yourself in your responsibilities as an employer and ensure that you respect your workers' rights.

@steppenwolverine if your cleaner is self-employed, they don't have a right to holiday pay. If, on the other hand, you employed her PAYE and all the rest, they would be.

I work freelance myself so it's up to me to set money aside through the year to cover not earning during holidays.

The rolled up thing isn't so bad for casual staff as long as it's minimum wage plus holiday pay (about 12.07%) but lots of people don't even do that and employees seem oblivious to the fact that they're entitled to it.

@Steppenwolverine
Freelancers aren't entitled to holiday pay, employees are, whether it's a temporary role or not - surely it's not about what people expect or feel guilty about, it's about what they're entitled to under the law? Is your cleaner entitled to holiday pay?

@Mondayalready no, she's self-employed, so I can see that I'm not legally obliged to pay her holiday pay, but I still feel slightly guilty about it - especially if we go away at short notice.

I do give her a bonus equivalent to a week's pay at Christmas. Sorry, all of this is probably very much OT

Somewhere I used to work paid a higher hourly wage as it included holiday pay. Meant it was shite when I did need to take holiday as I felt it