An embarrassing error in the UK government’s White Paper says Britons would enjoy 14 weeks’ paid vacation a year in the post-Brexit era, giving a fatigued public something to cheer about as Theresa May’s government ventures the unknown path of EU-divorce.
Although raising questions about the UK government’s slapdash approach to its Brexit plans, the hike was just a result of a graph error and not a surprise bonus of leaving the EU.
Made by mistake rather than by design, the huge extension of vacation entitlement is a massive bump. The UK has 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave a year, while EU’s minimum is four weeks.
The graph featured in the 77 page White Paper showed minimum vacation and maternity leave entitlements in the EU and the UK.
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The graph, however, shows the UK’s annual vacation entitlements as 14 weeks.
The paper was criticized for other mistakes such as missing full stops and spelling errors, although the misleading vacation graph was sure to sting the most.