UK HR terms, defined.

12.07% method

The percentage formula used to accrue holiday for irregular-hours and part-year workers.

ACAS Code of Practice

The statutory code setting out fair-process steps for UK disciplinary and grievance procedures.

AMAP

HMRC's tax-free per-mile rates for reimbursing employees who use their own vehicle for business journeys.

Auto-enrolment

The legal requirement for UK employers to automatically enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension.

Bank holiday

A UK public holiday. Not automatically a paid day off — that depends on the contract.

Bradford Factor

An absence-scoring formula that weights frequent short absences more heavily than long ones.

Carry-over (annual leave)

Moving unused holiday into the next leave year. Rules differ for the two statutory pots.

DBS check

A criminal-record check used for roles involving children, vulnerable adults, or positions of trust.

Fit note

A Statement of Fitness for Work issued by a healthcare professional. Required for sickness absences over 7 days.

Leave year

The 12-month period across which holiday entitlement is calculated. Employer's choice.

NEST

The government-backed default workplace pension scheme used by many UK employers for auto-enrolment.

Notice period

How much notice an employee or employer must give to end the contract.

P11D

The annual HMRC return for taxable benefits in kind given to employees.

P45

The leaving document showing year-to-date pay and tax. Given to the employee on their last day.

P60

The end-of-tax-year pay and tax summary. Must be issued to every employee by 31 May.

PAYE

The UK system for deducting income tax and National Insurance at source through payroll.

Pro-rata

Allocating an entitlement proportionally — most often applied to part-time workers.

Probation period

An initial assessment window at the start of employment, usually 3–6 months.

Qualifying earnings

The pay band used to calculate auto-enrolment pension contributions.

Right to be accompanied

The worker's statutory right to bring a colleague or trade union rep to a disciplinary or grievance hearing.

Right to work check

The legal check every UK employer must do before hiring, to confirm a worker can work in the UK.

Self-certification (sickness)

An employee's own declaration of short-term sickness — used for absences up to 7 days.

Sickness absence

Time off work due to ill health. Tracked separately from annual leave.

Statutory holiday

The 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid leave per year that every UK worker is legally entitled to.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

The UK minimum maternity pay. Up to 39 weeks: 6 at 90% of average earnings, 33 at the statutory flat rate.

Statutory redundancy pay

The UK minimum payment owed to a redundant employee with two or more years' continuous service.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

The UK statutory minimum sick pay. Up to 28 weeks, set by the government each April.

The Pensions Regulator

The UK regulator that enforces auto-enrolment compliance.

Working Time Regulations

The 1998 UK regulations setting working-hours limits, rest breaks, and the 5.6-week holiday minimum.

Workplace pension

A pension arranged through your employer. Required by law for eligible UK workers under auto-enrolment.

Written Statement of Particulars

The document UK employers must give every worker on or before day one, setting out the core terms.