Problem-solving charity Citizens Advice have released a report which shows that tens of thousands of workers are being denied their legal entitlement of at least four weeks’ paid holiday a year.

Currently bosses are obliged to offer workers twenty days leave a year but this can include bank holidays.

At the Labour Party conference in September, the Prime Minister pledged to increase the statutory minimum entitlement to “four weeks plus Bank Holidays” if the Government wins a third term. Citizens Advice warn that this will be pointless without tougher enforcement of existing rules.

The entitlement to holiday extends to most workers, including part-timers or fixed term employees – a rule which many bosses are ignoring.

Citizens Advice Chief Executive David Harker commented: “Thousands of people will have their Christmas holidays spoiled this year because they won’t receive the holiday pay to which they are entitled by law.

“The opportunity to take paid time off from the demands of work clearly plays a major part in the good work-life balance that the Government has said it wants all workers to enjoy.”