Paid holiday rights from day one

Sleep easy: New rule is breakthrough for temps

From 25 October, workers can start earning time-off as soon as they start a new job.

The new rules mean that people will no longer need to serve the previous 13-week qualifying period before they are entitled to four weeks' paid holiday.

Instead, they will have the right to paid holidays from the first day of employment, under a change to the Working Time Directive.

The move follows a June judgment by the European Court of Justice that the 13-week rule was inconsistent with the directive.

In practice

Almost everyone at work is entitled to four weeks' paid holiday every year.

But some bosses tried to cheat staff of holiday by putting them on a series of 13-week contracts.

The new rules apply to anyone who starts a job on or after 25 October, and is not retrospective.

Workers will also have a right to compensation for any untaken leave on termination of employment.

Employers can still include any Bank holidays as part of the annual entitlement as long as the member of staff is paid for them.