When were Brits first given leave from work to go on holiday?

In 1871, the Bank Holiday Act established the first paid days off for commonworkers in England, while some senior managers could be granted extra leave.

The Trades Union Congress called for holiday on behalf of the masses in 1911, leading to some forward-thinking employers gradually putting agreements in place, but it wouldn’t be until 1938 that the practice was set in law, giving certain workers with fixed wages the right to one week of paid leave per year.