If you are still managing your team's holiday requests using a shared Excel sheet or a wall chart, 2026 is the year that must change.
For UK small business owners and managers, annual leave is no longer just about ensuring someone is covering the phones while a colleague is in Spain. New legislation and shifting workforce expectations have turned leave management into a high-stakes compliance task.
As of April 6, 2026, UK employers have a new legal duty to keep "adequate" annual leave and holiday pay records for six years. Relying on a manual spreadsheet that could be accidentally deleted or incorrectly edited is now a significant business liability.
In this guide, we will walk you through exactly what you should look for when choosing annual leave management software to keep your SME compliant, efficient, and stress-free.
