Note that the 28 days of 'time off' includes employee vacation and whichever public holidays the employer chooses to include. There are 8 public holidays in England and Wales, so the number of 'true' vacation days is usually closer to 20. In addition, the law says that the employer can decide when you take that time-off. For many blue- and white-collar jobs, that often includes about a week over Christmas and New Year where factories and offices literally shutdown, which may or may not gel with some people's personal choices.