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Quick answer

No law requires a specific form. But the Working Time Regulations 1998 do set the notice: an employee must give at least twice the length of the leave they want, and you must give counter-notice of equal length to refuse. A written process isn't mandatory either, but it's the only thing that gives you a dated record when an approval is later disputed. This page gives you the form, a manager checklist, the notice rules, and policy wording to paste into your handbook.

You can run all of this verbally · the law allows it. But verbal approvals get disputed, records get lost, and people reach year-end with days they can't take. Putting it in writing costs nothing and settles most arguments before they start. We build leave software, and these disputes reach support most weeks; a dated record is what resolves them. The Policies and Templates hub has the wider library of UK employer policy wording.

Doing this automatically
The record keeps itself

A paper form or an email thread only becomes a record if someone files it. Book Time Off logs every request with the date it was submitted, shows each person's days used and days remaining at a glance, and keeps approvals in one place instead of scattered inboxes.

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The form template

Here is the standard form. Adapt the heading and company name to your branding, then download the Word version to edit and distribute.

Holiday leave request form
Submit to your line manager at least [your notice period] before the leave starts
Section 1 · Employee details
Full name
Department / team
Line manager
Date of request(important for first-come-first-served)
Section 2 · Leave details
Type of leave
Annual leave Carry-forward leave Other:
First day of leave
Last day (inclusive)
Total working days(your working days only, not calendar days)
Days remaining before this request
Cover arranged?
Yes, by: No Not required
Section 3 · Manager decision
Decision
Approved Declined
If declined, reason
Days remaining if approved
Manager name and signature
Date of decision

Holiday request form template (UK)

The complete form and an eight-clause policy summary as an editable Word document. Drop your company name and notice periods into the bracketed fields, read the drafting notes, then delete them before issuing.

  • Complete two-page form template, ready to print or email
  • Eight-clause policy summary for your handbook
  • Blue placeholders for your company-specific details
  • Drafting notes explain the choices only you can make
  • Document control panel and disclaimer included
↓ Download the Word template
.docx · ~39 KB · No email required

Manager checklist

Work through these in order when a request lands. The sequence matters · checking the balance before the clash list means a request with no days left never needs clash-checking.

Check the form is complete
Confirm name, dates, total working days, and days remaining are all filled in. Return an incomplete form rather than filling in the blanks yourself.
Check the leave balance
Confirm the employee has enough days left to cover the request. For part-time staff, use their pro-rata figure, not the full-time one.
Check restricted periods
Make sure the dates don't fall in a designated restricted period. If they do, say so in writing with the restricted dates spelled out.
Check for clashes
Review the team's approved leave for those dates. If approving would drop the team below its minimum cover, apply your clash method and record the reason for any refusal.
Make and record the decision
Approve or decline in writing, fill in the days-remaining-if-approved field, and log it in your tracker. Don't leave requests unanswered past the response time in your policy.
If declining, give a clear reason
A refusal with no stated reason erodes trust and creates risk. "Minimum cover not possible that week due to existing approved leave for [colleague]" is enough.
File the completed form
Keep approved and declined forms in the employee's HR record, secure and restricted-access, in line with UK GDPR.
From seven steps to one click
Let the software run the checklist

Every step above is manual: checking the balance, scanning the team for clashes, replying in writing, updating the tracker, filing the form. Book Time Off does them in the background. When someone books, their approver gets an email and approves or declines in one click. The balance updates, the booking lands on the shared calendar and wallchart, and everyone involved is notified · the record is kept for you.

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Notice rules

Under Regulation 15 of the Working Time Regulations 1998, an employee must give notice at least twice the length of the leave they want, unless a contract or policy says otherwise. So two weeks off needs four weeks' notice; a single day needs two days'. You can set a longer minimum in writing (most employers do, especially around peak periods), but not a shorter one without a relevant agreement in place.

Leave requested Minimum notice (statutory default) Typical employer policy
Half a day 1 day 24 to 48 hours
1 day 2 days 48 to 72 hours
3 days 6 days 1 to 2 weeks
1 week (5 days) 2 weeks 2 to 4 weeks
2 weeks 4 weeks 4 to 6 weeks

In practice, most SMEs set one flat minimum per duration · say 48 hours for a single day, two weeks for anything of a week or more. It's easier to communicate than the multiplier and easier to apply consistently. Put your actual figures in the leave policy and on the form.

When you can refuse or cancel

You can turn a request down. Under Regulation 15(3), you give the worker counter-notice · a formal notice saying they can't take those dates · at least as long as the leave requested, and before it starts. The reason has to be genuine business need: staffing cover, a restricted trading period, a critical deadline, or too many people already off.

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What you can't do

You cannot refuse leave in a way that stops a worker taking their full 5.6 weeks (28 days for a 5-day week) in the leave year · repeated or blanket refusals that cost workers statutory holiday at year-end are unlawful (GOV.UK). ACAS also advises applying refusals consistently: refusing the same dates for some staff but not others can lead to discrimination claims. See the annual leave entitlement guide for the minimum rules.

Cancelling approved leave

Cancelling leave you've already approved is a bigger step, and there's no statutory right to do it without consequence. If the employee has made non-refundable bookings on the strength of your approval, cancelling can lead to a breach-of-contract or unlawful-deduction claim. So give as much notice as you can, discuss reimbursing any losses they can evidence, keep it for genuinely exceptional cases, and record the reason in writing.

Handling clashes fairly

There's no statutory method for competing requests. ACAS advises a clear, consistent policy applied without discrimination. The three common approaches:

Method How it works Best for Watch out for
First-come-first-served Approve in the order received, using timestamped records. Most employers. Simple, transparent, defensible. Less organised staff can miss out repeatedly. Consider an annual reset for recurring peaks.
Rotation Rotate priority each year so the same person doesn't always miss Christmas or summer. Teams with the same peaks every year (retail, hospitality, education support). Needs good records and clear communication of whose turn it is.
Manager discretion Manager decides on operational need and individual circumstances. Very small teams or roles with unique skills. High risk of inconsistency and discrimination claims unless each decision is documented.
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Watch the discrimination risk

If people sharing a protected characteristic (religion, race, age, sex) are consistently refused the same peaks, that can be indirect discrimination · unlawful under the Equality Act even when the process looks neutral · so review your refusal patterns now and then. A quick look at who gets refused around Eid, Christmas, or school holidays catches unintended bias early.

Whatever you pick, state it in your leave policy and keep timestamped records of every request and decision. The guide to handling holiday clashes goes deeper, including departmental capacity limits.

Built-in clash control
Capacity limits, not guesswork

In Book Time Off you set a maximum number of people who can be off at once in each department, so a request that would drop the team below cover is flagged before anyone approves it. Requests are recorded in the order they arrive, which keeps first-come-first-served objective, and the team wallchart shows existing approved leave for the exact dates. One named approver per person keeps decisions consistent.

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What to include on the form

Collect only what you need for a decision. Extra fields don't make better records · they slow things down and create personal data you then have to protect.

Include Omit
Full name, department, manager Home address or contact number (not needed for a leave decision)
Date of request (timestamped) Reason for leave (no legal right to ask for routine annual leave reasons)
Leave start date and end date (inclusive) Holiday destination or travel details
Total working days requested Evidence of bookings or plans
Days remaining before and after (if approved) Medical or personal circumstances (unless a different leave type)
Cover arranged (Yes / No / Not required) Salary or rate information (kept in payroll separately)
Manager approval or decline, with reason if declined Emergency contact during leave (collect separately if genuinely needed)

For leave types other than ordinary annual leave (compassionate, carer's leave, dependant emergencies), use a separate process · they have their own eligibility rules and information needs. The policy templates hub has a guide for each.

Copy-and-paste policy wording

The clauses below are a starting point for your employee handbook. Adapt them to your existing style and fill in the bracketed fields. Keep all statutory obligations intact and do not narrow the entitlement below the statutory minimum. Prefer to work in Word? Download the same policy as an editable document above.

Holiday request policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy sets out how employees request annual leave, how requests are considered, and what happens when requests cannot be accommodated. It applies to all employees. The Company's employment contracts, together with the Working Time Regulations 1998, set the minimum entitlements that this policy cannot reduce.

2. Annual leave entitlement

Employees are entitled to [28] days' paid annual leave per leave year (including UK bank holidays for [England and Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland]), in accordance with the Working Time Regulations 1998. Part-time employees receive a pro-rata entitlement based on their contracted working days. The leave year runs from [date] to [date].

Drafting note: 28 days (5.6 weeks) is the statutory minimum for a 5-day week. You may offer more as a contractual benefit. The leave year dates are your choice. If your staff work patterns vary, note that the statutory entitlement is 5.6 weeks; the days figure varies by working pattern.

3. How to request leave

All annual leave requests must be submitted using the Company's holiday request form (or via [system name]), with the required notice period. Requests submitted verbally are not binding on either side. Employees should submit requests as far in advance as possible to improve the chances of approval.

4. Notice required

Employees must give the following minimum notice before the leave starts:

Half a day or single day: [48 hours] notice. Anything up to three days: [1 week] notice. A full week or more: [2 weeks] notice, or twice the length of leave requested if longer.

The Company may, at its discretion, consider requests submitted with shorter notice, but cannot guarantee approval in those circumstances. During designated restricted periods (see Clause 6), longer notice may be required.

Drafting note: The statutory default (Working Time Regulations 1998, Regulation 15) is notice twice the length of leave requested. You may set a longer period by contract or policy, but not a shorter one without a relevant agreement. Specify your actual figures above and delete this note before issuing.

5. Approval and response

The line manager will respond to all requests within [5] working days. A request is not approved until the employee receives written confirmation. Verbal agreement from a manager does not constitute approval for the purposes of this policy.

6. Restricted periods

The Company may designate specific periods during which annual leave may not be taken without prior written approval from [HR / a Director]. Employees will be notified of restricted periods at least [4 weeks] in advance. [At present, the following periods are restricted: [state dates].] The Company may also require employees to take leave during [shutdowns / reduced-trading periods]; at least [2 weeks'] notice will be given where possible.

Drafting note: Only include restricted periods that are genuine operational requirements. Bank holidays and the Christmas shutdown clause are optional; remove if not applicable. The requirement to give notice before requiring employees to take leave comes from Working Time Regulations 1998, Regulation 15(3).

7. Priority when requests clash

Where two or more employees request the same dates and only one can be approved, priority will be determined by [the date and time the request was received / annual rotation between the affected employees / agreement between the employees concerned]. The Company will aim to rotate priority fairly across the year. A record of the reason for any refusal will be kept.

Drafting note: Choose and retain one method. First-come-first-served is the most common and most legally defensible because it is objective. Whatever you choose, apply it consistently; inconsistent application can give rise to discrimination claims.

8. Cancellation of approved leave

The Company will not cancel approved annual leave except in exceptional circumstances. Where cancellation is necessary, the Company will give as much advance notice as possible and will discuss reimbursement of reasonable, evidenced financial costs incurred by the employee in reliance on the approved leave.

Records and GDPR

Completed forms hold personal data, so keep them securely with restricted access · not in a manager's personal inbox · and reference them in your privacy notice. Keep them for the length of employment plus six years (the limitation period for contract claims), and let employees see and correct their own records. Don't collect what you don't need for a decision, such as holiday destinations or travel details. The primary reference is the ICO's employment guidance.

Sources

GOV.UK Holiday entitlement: overview and rules · Verified June 2026
Legislation.gov.uk Working Time Regulations 1998, Regulation 15: dates of leave · Verified June 2026
ACAS Holiday entitlement and pay · Verified June 2026
Legislation.gov.uk Employment Rights Act 1996 · Written statement of employment particulars · Verified June 2026
ICO UK GDPR: employment guidance · Verified June 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is a holiday request form legally required in the UK?
No. There is no statutory requirement for a specific form. The Working Time Regulations 1998 require employees to give notice of leave but do not specify how that notice must be given. However, a written form creates a dated record that protects both parties if a dispute arises about whether a request was made, when it was approved, or how many days remain. Most employers find a standard form makes the process faster and fairer.
How much notice must an employee give for annual leave?
Under Regulation 15 of the Working Time Regulations 1998, the default minimum notice is twice the length of leave requested. For one week of leave, that is two weeks' notice. For three days, at least six days. Employers can set a longer minimum in a contract or written policy, which is common practice, particularly around peak periods. They should not set a shorter period unless a relevant agreement allows it.
Can an employer refuse a holiday request?
Yes. Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, an employer can refuse a leave request by giving counter-notice at least as long as the leave requested, before the leave starts. The refusal must be based on genuine business reasons. However, employers cannot refuse leave in a way that prevents workers from taking their full statutory entitlement of 5.6 weeks (28 days for a 5-day week) during the leave year. ACAS recommends that refusals are applied consistently and without unlawful discrimination.
Can an employer cancel approved annual leave?
Yes, but only in exceptional circumstances and with appropriate notice. There is no specific statutory right to cancel approved leave without consequence. If cancellation causes the employee financial loss (such as non-refundable travel bookings), this may give rise to a claim for breach of contract or unlawful deduction from wages. Best practice is to discuss reimbursement of reasonable costs and to cancel only where it is genuinely unavoidable.
How should clashing holiday requests be handled?
There is no statutory method for prioritising clashing requests. The most common and legally defensible approach is first-come-first-served: approving requests in the order received and keeping timestamped records. Rotation works well for predictable peak periods. Whatever method you choose, state it clearly in your leave policy, apply it consistently, and document the reason for any refusal. Inconsistent refusals can give rise to discrimination claims if employees sharing a protected characteristic are disproportionately affected.
Do part-time employees use the same holiday request form?
Yes, the form itself is the same. The difference is in how days are counted: a part-time employee requesting a week off books only the working days they would normally have worked that week. A three-day-a-week employee takes three days, not five. Their annual entitlement is also pro-rated, so the manager should check remaining balance using the part-time figure when considering the request.
About this guide

Written by the Book Time Off editorial team. We build leave management software for UK SMEs and write practical guides on UK employment law, holiday entitlement, and HR best practice. All content is reviewed against current GOV.UK and ACAS guidance and updated as the rules change.

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This is not legal advice

This guide is for general information only. Employment law is complex and your specific situation may be different. For advice on your legal obligations, contact ACAS or an employment solicitor.