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UK workers will continue to receive less paid holiday than their European counterparts, despite new laws to boost their entitlement, new research has found.

Staff in Britain will be entitled to a total of 28 days paid annual leave from April 2009, under legislation recently introduced.

But that will still leave the country at the bottom of the European Union (EU) league for paid holiday entitlement, according to a study by Incomes Data Services (IDS).

British workers are currently entitled to receive 20 days paid holiday, but at present employers can include the eight public holidays celebrated in the country as part of their overall entitlement.

However although the new regulations will bring the UK into line with other EU countries in banning the practice, workers here will still receive less annual paid leave than staff elsewhere in Europe when the laws come into full force in 2009, IDS has warned.

UK workers will remain bottom of the table for holiday remuneration, receiving a minimum of 28 days paid holiday, while workers in Denmark will top other EU nations and could be granted up to 39.5 days.

French staff will also receive more paid time off than their British counterparts and will be entitled to 35 days paid holiday under the new rules, while Germans could be granted up to 39 days, Polish workers 31 days and Ireland 29 days.

Commenting on the findings, based on official EU data and information from member states, editor of the IDS pay report, Ken Mulkearn, said the new legislation was likely to have "little impact" on UK employers who already offer 20 days paid leave to staff in addition to bank holidays.

He added that the phasing in of the changes, whereby British staff will receive 24 days paid holiday from October this year, would also "help soften the blow".

"The new regulations are clearly aimed at preventing the practice of including the current eight bank holidays in the minimum entitlement – whereby some employees effectively got just 12 days’ annual leave," explained Mr Mulkearn.

"But even after the changes, the UK will still be joint bottom of the EU league table for holidays," he added.