New Holiday Record Rules: What Employers Need to Know
A change under the Employment Rights Act 2025 means employers now have a specific legal duty to keep adequate records showing that they are complying with statutory annual leave and holiday requirements.
The requirement came into force on 6 April 2026 and the records must be kept for at least six years from the date they are made.
What has changed?
For most employers, the amount of statutory holiday has not changed. What has changed is the requirement to be able to demonstrate that you are managing it correctly.
There is no prescribed system employers have to use. However, businesses should have clear and accessible records of employees' holiday entitlement and the leave they have taken.
This is particularly worth reviewing if holiday information is currently spread across spreadsheets, emails, paper forms or individual managers.
Failure to keep adequate records is an offence and can result in a fine.
Where StaffCentral helps
This is one of the areas StaffCentral is designed to make easier.
StaffCentral keeps employee holiday entitlements, requests and leave records together in one place. Employees can request leave through the system, managers can approve it and the business retains a central record.
It means you are not trying to reconstruct years of holiday information from different sources if you need it later.
The new rules don't mean every employer needs new HR software. But they do make having a consistent, reliable and accessible holiday record considerably more important.
If you're unsure whether your current records are good enough, or would like to see how StaffCentral could help, get in touch with us.
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