What Does Holiday Balance Refer to on Payslip?

In some places I've worked, you could "buy" or "sell" holidays. For instance, if you're entitled to 25 days holiday per year, but only take 20, then they will pay you 5 days wages for the "untaken" holiday. Conversely, you could take more holiday than you were entitled to, at the cost of a deduction from your salary.

Simplest thing is probably to contact your payroll department to clarify - they should be able to give you the full picture.

Yep, the simplest - and safest - thing to do is ask your employer.


But here's my guess - and it is nothing more than a guess. But companies will often have different "holiday years". Typically the holiday year will run on a calendar year ( January to December ), or a fiscal year ( April to March ). But it's not uncommon to have other arrangements ( so that "holiday year-end" avoids the busy admin times of Financial or Calendar year-end ). It's possible that your company's holiday year has just finished, you haven't used up all your entitlement, and the figure you're seeing is what will be carried forward to the next "holiday year" - or for which you'll receive payment, if your company offers that option.


Not that it really matters - the payroll department will be able to tell you. But I'd be interested to hear the outcome