[Finance] Totally OT- employment contract and holiday etc

[Official Old Man]

The line

Just when I pay myself, each week, I pay a lump some rather than a formula involving hours x pay like my staff.

is a worry. Who pays you and how? Who calculates the staff (and your) pay and prints the pay slips?
Another way to calculate holiday pay is 12% or your earnings. Your pay slip will show earnings before deductions, you are due 12% of that. Also, in general, holiday year is April to April in line with a tax year.
Next step is to calculate what you think you are owed and ask for it. If refused then put it in writing. If still refused take it to Acas. They are independent and will work out a solution.
As for a contract. You don't need one (well, you should have one) but certain things like holiday pay, minimum wage etc are all laid down in law.
Edit
When getting your holiday pay make sure your employer puts it down that it is for x weeks. A lump sum in one pay packet on your last day will mean high tax.

 

[Gazwag]

Another way to calculate holiday pay is 12% or your earnings. .

To be pedantic is actually 12.07%

 

[The Clamp]

You don't need a signed contract. If the contract is implied, which it sounds like it is, then you have every right to expect pro-rata holiday the moment they start paying you for those hours and that work. Unless of course you agreed that you were working as a sole trader prior to you taking the job? But that would be difficult to prove without a contract too so...

Ultimately, the responsibility is on him as an employer to give you the contract too. So you should be entitled to 23 days plus bank holidays, or the equivalent to 28 days relative to the amount of months you've done.

Correct

 

[Official Old Man]

To be pedantic is actually 12.07%

Accepted. But it backs my case for an easy way to calculate holiday pay due.