Legalities Around Holiday Entitlement

[Mattk]

Our holiday cards were issued this year with December 24th as a floating day.

The company then decided very late in the year after many members of staff had used all their entitlements that we would now not be opening 24th after all!

They have therefore given 3 options:

1 Use a day as leave (if still available).
2 Work Saturday 30th November (opening especially).
3 Take unpaid.

Some staff have no leave available and cannot work the Saturday so are being told that they must take it unpaid.

I am fortunate that I have leave left to cover but where do others stand legally? Do they have any rights or are they 'obliged' to comply?

Thank you.

[factor-fiction]

I think the employer's position seems reasonable, although I can see it's inconvenient. It's always a good idea top keep a holiday or two in reserve for December.
A good employer would also give the option of carrying a day forward to next year

[Old_Geezer]

Doesn't sound that reaonable to me. The employer caused the issue by dilly dallying on making a decision and now decides others must be disadvantaged because of it. The carrying forward thing sounds much more reasonable to me. Take it out of next year's leave entitlement. And make decisions that affect the employees a darned sight faster next time. But legally is probably a different matter. I'd be surprised if employees have much say in the matter, they rarely seem to.

[factor-fiction]

By "carrying a day forward to next year" I think I might have meant "borrow a day from next year's entitlement" if you have no holidays left this year.