Request to Carry Over Holiday Leave Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to request to carry over unused annual leave you were unable to take, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong request to carry over holiday leave should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• Explain why the leave could not be taken (illness or employer refusal)
• Reference the Working Time Regulations 1998 and relevant case law on carry over during illness
• Request written confirmation of the number of days carried over

When you're entitled to carry over unused leave

Normally, statutory annual leave must be used within the leave year or it's lost — but there are specific exceptions, including where you were genuinely unable to take leave due to long-term sickness, or where your employer failed to give you a reasonable opportunity to take it (for example, by not informing you of your entitlement). Understanding which exception applies to your situation matters for how you frame the request.

What to include before you send it

• The amount of unused leave and the reason you weren't able to take it
• Reference to the specific circumstance that prevented you from taking it — sickness, or lack of opportunity
• A clear request to carry the leave into the next holiday year
• A reasonable proposed timeframe for using the carried-over leave

Limits on how much can be carried over

Carry-over rights are generally limited — for sickness-related carry-over, this is often capped and must typically be used within a set period (commonly 18 months) after the leave year it relates to. It's worth checking the specific limit that applies to your situation rather than assuming unlimited carry-over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my employer simply refuse a reasonable carry-over request?
Where a genuine legal exception applies (like long-term sickness), your employer generally can't simply refuse — though the specific timing may need to be agreed.

Does this apply to leave I just didn't get round to taking for no particular reason?
Generally no — ordinary carry-over of leave you simply didn't use isn't automatically protected in the same way as leave affected by sickness or lack of opportunity to take it.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Recipient, e.g. Line Manager or HR Manager]
[Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name of Recipient],

Subject: Carrying over annual leave

I am writing about carrying over [Number, e.g. 5 days] of my annual leave from this holiday year into the next one, which starts on [Start date].

I have not been able to take all my leave this year because: [choose and edit]
• [I was off sick from [date] to [date]. Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 and case law, statutory leave I could not take because of sickness can be carried over.]
• [I was on [maternity / shared parental] leave from [date] to [date], so I could not take this leave.]
• [I was not given a reasonable chance to take my leave because [e.g. my requests on [dates] were refused].]
• [Work commitments: [e.g. low staffing during our peak season] - I know this is not a legal right, but I ask you to agree to it.]

I plan to use the carried-over days by [date].

Please confirm in writing how many days will be carried over.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]