UK reward metrics · Time Off & Family

Are employees required to take annual leave during set shutdown periods?

Source lumi HRBase 260 organisationsFieldwork 2026 H1

82.3%No

82.3% of organisations in the lumi HR community answered “No” on mandatory shutdown leave (base: 260 UK organisations, 2026 H1).

Figures describe organisations in the lumi HR community, not a random sample of UK employers.

How UK organisations answered

Yes - mandatory shutdown periods apply 11.9% Yes - in some parts of the organisatio 5.8% No 82.3%
Mandatory shutdown leave (base: 260 organisations, 2026 H1). Percentages percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
Mandatory shutdown leave: share of organisations by answer
AnswerShare of organisations
Yes - mandatory shutdown periods applyrare11.9%
Yes - in some parts of the organisationrare5.8%
Nocommon82.3%

Common, alternative and rare describe how each answer sits against the community: the most chosen answer is common; an answer chosen by fewer than one in five organisations is rare.

Definition

Whether employees must take annual leave during set shutdown periods, organisation-wide or only in some areas. See the methodology for how the base is built, how not-applicable answers are handled, the public floor, and which organisations are excluded.

Cite this figure
Source: lumi HR, UK Reward Metrics, September 2026, lumihr.co.uk/metrics/mandatory-shutdown-leave
Last updated 19 September 2026 · Data licence: CC BY 4.0 for the figures in the CSV download.

See how your organisation compares

Members see their own organisation against the peer group, by sector and size, on every metric.

Book a call