in uk law are employees entitled to holiday pay or just paid holidays?

There is a difference !

Full time employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year not holiday pay.

Employers are supposed to ensure that employees are able to take their holidays and are not entitled to pay in lieu of holiday unless the employment is being terminated.

Employees are not entitled to carry over holidays into the next holiday year unless the contract of employment allows them to do this. If the contract does not allow this and the employee does not take the holidays then they are not entitled to be paid for them and would simply lose them.

To be clear all employees are entitled to 28 paid days holiday per year, This is made up of four weeks holiday plus 8 bank holidays.

UK- from last year you cannot work your holidays and get paid for them, you cannot carry holidays that were not taken from 1 year to the don't, if you dont take them you lose them check with ACAS www.acas.co.uk

Paid holidays, although some firms may come to an agreement and pay holiday pay if work load prevents you taking holidays.