Holiday management software for UK Working Time Regulations
Manage UK statutory annual leave, absence tracking, and holiday approvals in one place. Working Time Regulations 1998 compliant — 5.6 weeks (28 days), bank holidays, and new 6-year record retention under ERA 2025.
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5.6 weeks (28 days) statutory entitlement tracking
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Working Time Regulations 1998 compliant
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6-year holiday record retention (ERA 2025, from Apr 2026)
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Automatic roster updates on approval
Holiday tracking software for requests and approvals
RosterElf replaces paper forms and manual tracking with digital workflows. Staff request holiday from their phone, managers approve instantly. Part of our complete UK HR software suite.
Request holiday
Employees submit holiday requests via the mobile app — annual leave, sick leave, bank holidays, or custom leave types. One-tap submission from anywhere.
Approve absences
Managers receive instant notifications and approve or decline requests from anywhere. Full roster-impact visibility before approving.
Roster updates
Approved leave automatically updates rosters in real time, preventing scheduling conflicts and ensuring you're never accidentally understaffed.
Track 5.6-week entitlements without the spreadsheet
28 days, bank holidays, and carry-over rules — all handled
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, every UK worker is entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave per year. Part-time employees receive the equivalent on a pro-rata basis. RosterElf automatically calculates entitlements per employee, tracks balances in real time, and prevents managers from approving leave that would exceed an employee's allowance.
Configure whether UK bank holidays are included in or on top of the 28-day entitlement to match your contracts. All holiday data syncs directly to Xero and other payroll integrations — no manual calculations or reconciliation.
Holiday pay intended to be accurate — synced to payroll
Holiday pay synced — no manual reconciliation
RosterElf's holiday tracker monitors annual leave balances and automatically syncs approved holiday to your payroll system. Holiday pay is calculated in line with Working Time Regulations requirements and exported alongside regular timesheets.
With this smooth flow into payroll, wages are processed without unexpected adjustments or disputes, and managers save hours previously lost to manual reconciliation across spreadsheets and payroll software.
Put staff in control of their own time off
Check balances, request holiday, track approvals
Employees can view their current holiday balance, request annual leave or sick leave, and track approval status — all in the same RosterElf app they use for rotas.
The holiday tracker updates in real time, making the process transparent for both staff and managers. The result is less admin overhead and fewer disputes over holiday balances.
Find shift cover when staff are on holiday
Automatic cover suggestions when holiday is approved
When holiday is approved, RosterElf automatically flags affected shifts and shows available staff who can cover. Post open shifts to qualified team members with one tap — staff receive instant notifications and can accept from their phone.
No more last-minute scrambling for cover. The absence management system keeps your rosters fully staffed during peak holiday periods.
Why UK businesses need holiday management software
Working time regulations compliant
5.6-week entitlement tracking and pro-rata calculations for part-time staff — automatically calculated, no manual work.
6-year record retention (ERA 2025)
From April 2026, UK employers must retain holiday records for 6 years. RosterElf stores a complete, searchable audit trail automatically.
One-tap approvals
Managers approve or decline holiday requests in seconds from anywhere, with full roster-impact visibility before deciding.
Accurate balances, no disputes
Real-time holiday balance tracking with automated calculations — staff always see the correct figure, reducing disputes with managers.
Tribunal-ready audit trail
Timestamped holiday requests and approvals stored for 6+ years. If a holiday dispute reaches an employment tribunal, your records are ready.
Payroll integration
Holiday pay syncs directly to Xero and other UK payroll tools — no manual reconciliation, no missed payments.
Annual leave management under UK law
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, all UK workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave per year — higher than most countries. Full-time employees receive 28 days; part-time employees receive the equivalent on a pro-rata basis. Bank holidays (8 per year in England and Wales) may be included in or on top of this entitlement depending on the employment contract.
From April 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 requires employers to retain holiday records for at least 6 years. RosterElf stores all holiday requests, approvals, and balances, giving you a complete audit trail to support ICO compliance, employment tribunal evidence, and internal HR reviews. Pair with digital HR records for a single, searchable store of all workforce documentation.
For businesses managing multiple leave types, RosterElf tracks annual leave alongside sick leave, unpaid leave, parental leave, and custom categories — all in one centralised system with full audit trails.
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Start your free 15 day RosterElf trial today
Join thousands of UK businesses using RosterElf to manage holiday entitlements and Working Time Regulations compliance.
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Read articleUK holiday management FAQs
- Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, UK workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave per year. This is higher than many other countries and can include bank holidays (of which there are 8 per year in England and Wales) depending on the contract. Part-time employees are entitled to the same minimum on a pro-rata basis. RosterElf tracks holiday entitlements per employee and flags when balances are running low or have been exceeded.
- From April 2026, under the Employment Rights Act 2025, UK employers are legally required to keep holiday records for at least 6 years. Previously there was no explicit statutory requirement for record retention duration. RosterElf stores all holiday requests, approvals, and balances in a timestamped digital record, giving you a complete, searchable audit trail for compliance reviews or employment tribunal evidence.
- Normal UK holiday (statutory 5.6 weeks) cannot be carried over into the following year — employees must take it within the holiday year. The exception is if an employee was unable to take their holiday due to being on sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, or similar — in which case carry-over is permitted. RosterElf's holiday tracker shows outstanding balances and flags carryover situations for manager review.
- RosterElf lets you configure whether UK bank holidays are included in or on top of an employee's statutory 28-day entitlement — depending on your contracts. You can set bank holidays as automatic days off or as additional leave to be requested. Approved bank holiday leave flows directly to rosters and payroll for accurate calculation.