Has your boss stopped you taking holiday? Have you not been paid for holidays? Have you left a job with holiday not yet taken and not been paid for it?

If so, you are not alone. During April and May, many British workers have enjoyed 5 bank holidays but every year we see thousands of people seeking advice on their right to paid holiday.

Citizens Advice is campaigning for a Fair Employment Agency to protect workers and target rogue employers.

We would like you to tell us your experiences because it will help make a stronger case. Why not fill in our survey at http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/giveusabreak or complete the survey in our Waiting Rooms.

While most working people take their right to paid holidays for granted, many others are forced to work all year without a break, or only allowed unpaid leave.

People missing out tend to be in unglamorous but essential jobs in small, non-unionised workplaces such as care homes, hairdressers, bars, restaurants, hotels and shops.

Others work in building and decorating, clothing and food processing factories, or contract cleaning. The majority are women, many juggling part-time work with family commitments.

Employers may lack understanding of the law, but much appears to be deliberate, with rogue employers using a range of excuses to avoid meeting their legal obligations to their workforce. This means workers may be unaware of their rights, others decide against taking action for fear of losing their job, or are put off by the daunting, stressful and time-consuming prospect of an employment tribunal – at present the only option open to workers denied their right to paid holiday.

If you would like more information on Rights to Paid Holidays the CAB has information at www.adviceguide.org.uk or you can download a CAB podcast at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

Free, confidential advice and help is available on any aspect of this article as well as debt, benefits, employment, and any other problems.

You can contact the Grange or Windermere Citizens Advice Bureau by phone or in person. Call 015395 33100 / 015394 46464 or www.cumbriaruralcab.org.uk