Employment & Labour Law · European Union
Protect Your Holiday Rights With the Right Lawyer By Your Side
Refused leave, holidays that never get paid, leave that vanishes at the end of the year, sick days eaten out of your allowance — paid annual leave is a legal right across Europe, yet it is one of the easiest for employers to quietly erode. We match you, free of charge, with a vetted employment lawyer who handles holiday and leave disputes in your country every day.
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Who this is for
Paid annual leave is a right, not a favour — and it has its own rules about how and when it can be used
Every worker in Europe is entitled to paid annual leave, with a minimum set at EU level and often extended by national law and your own contract. But the practical rules — how leave is accrued, when it must be taken, whether it carries over into the next year, how it is paid, and what happens when it clashes with sickness — differ from one country to the next and from one employer to another. Disputes typically arise when leave requests are repeatedly refused, when unused days simply expire at the end of the year, when holiday pay is calculated incorrectly, or when an employer demands you take holiday instead of sick leave. We match you, free of charge, with a vetted employment lawyer who handles holiday rights cases in your country every day.
Why holiday disputes arise
Holiday rights sound simple until the rules and the calendar disagree.
Then the employer’s version usually wins.
Carry-over, accrual during sickness and correct holiday pay are genuinely complex — and easy for an employer to get wrong in their favour.
Leave requests endlessly refused
Requests are deferred, ignored or denied without a real reason, until the year runs out and the days are lost. The right to paid leave means little if you can never actually take it.
Unused days simply expire
Many employers let untaken holiday lapse at the end of the year without checking why it wasn’t taken. In several countries that carry-over is unlawful, especially when the employer blocked you from taking it.
Holiday pay calculated wrongly
Overtime, commissions and shift premiums are often left out of the holiday pay calculation, underpaying you every time you take leave. The correct figure depends on your country’s rules and your actual earnings pattern.
What you get
A holiday rights lawyer who sorts out your leave and your pay
We only match you with employment lawyers who handle annual leave and holiday pay disputes regularly in your country.
Entitlement check
Your lawyer reviews your contract, national rules and length of service, then confirms exactly how many days you are owed, how they accrue and whether any should have carried over.
Holiday pay recalculation
Get a correct calculation of your holiday pay based on your actual earnings, including any overtime or commissions that were wrongly excluded from previous payments.
Dispute resolution
If leave is being refused or days are being lost, your lawyer raises the matter formally and negotiates a fair resolution — backdated days, corrected pay, or both.
Employment tribunal support
If negotiation fails, your lawyer prepares and presents your claim before the labour court, carefully managing the evidence, the pay calculations and every deadline on your behalf.
Coverage
Holiday rights lawyers across Europe
Holiday entitlement and carry-over rules are set nationally and differ sharply between countries, so the right lawyer is one who applies your country’s specific rules every day. We match cases across the following countries and beyond:
Frequently asked
Holiday rights — common questions
How much paid holiday am I entitled to in Europe?
EU law guarantees a minimum of four weeks of paid annual leave per year, and many countries set a higher minimum — often with additional public holidays on top. Your contract or collective agreement may add more, so your exact entitlement depends on where you work and your terms.
Can my employer refuse my holiday request?
Yes, in most cases employers can decline a request for legitimate operational reasons, but they cannot refuse leave altogether and must let you take your entitlement within the leave year. A pattern of blanket refusals that leaves you unable to take your holiday may be challengeable.
Does unused holiday carry over to the next year?
Sometimes. In several countries leave carries over automatically in specific situations, such as when sickness or the employer prevented you from taking it. Whether your unused days should carry over depends on your country’s rules and the reason you couldn’t take them.
What should my holiday pay include?
Holiday pay should generally reflect your normal pay, which in many countries includes regular overtime, commissions and shift premiums — not just base salary. If these have been excluded, you may be owed a top-up on past holiday payments.
Can my employer make me take holiday instead of sick leave?
Generally no. You should not be forced to use your annual leave for days when you are genuinely sick, and in several countries sick days taken during booked holiday should be re-credited as leave. A lawyer can confirm how this applies in your country.
What can I do if I lost holiday because my employer blocked me?
Start by raising the issue in writing and keep records of refused requests. If the days are not restored, an employment lawyer can advise whether you have a claim for the lost leave or a payment in lieu under your country’s rules.
Free case review
Your holiday is a right — don’t let it lapse
Tell us what’s happening and we’ll connect you with an employment lawyer who handles holiday rights cases in your country every day — free of charge, with no obligation to hire.