Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
CURRIE & BALERNO NEWS (min. holiday entitlement increase)
When I talk to people about what is important to them there is little doubt that having a better balance between their work and personal life ranks highly. So this month I was very pleased to announce that everyone who works will be entitled to a minimum of 28 days holiday each year.
While this will I hope be welcomed by families, it’s interesting that many said it would help them feel refreshed and motivated when they went back to work and for others it would allow them to pursue more leisure interests.
People are currently entitled to 20 days holiday but for many this includes public holidays. The practice of including bank holidays in annual leave will be stopped and over 6 million workers in the UK including 400,000 in Scotland will benefit.
This new right will be implemented in two stages. The minimum holiday entitlement will increase from 20 days a year to 24 days this October, and to 28 days from April 2009.
This extra time off will make a real difference in the lives of hard-working people – a good rest from work and more time to spend with their families and
friends. Those who will benefit most are women, part-time workers as well as low-paid workers.
I hope that businesses will benefit too – from reduced absenteeism and a workforce more motivated and productive.
People work hard and they deserve a decent break. We want to make sure everyone gets the holiday they are entitled to.
