Holiday entitlement calculator (UK)

How is holiday entitlement calculated in the UK?

• The statutory rule: almost all workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, including agency staff and zero hours workers. Multiply the days worked per week by 5.6.
• The 28 day cap: statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days, so anyone working 5 or more days a week gets 28 days. A 6 day week does not earn 33.6 days.
• Bank holidays: there is no separate legal right to bank holidays. Employers can count them towards the 28 days, and most do. Check the contract.
• Contracts can give more: 5.6 weeks is the legal minimum. If the contract says 25 days plus bank holidays, that is 33 days and the contract wins.

Rates last checked: 15 July 2026. The 5.6 week rule comes from the Working Time Regulations and has not changed for 2026/27.

Part time holiday calculator: the maths

Part time workers get the same 5.6 weeks, just made of shorter weeks. Someone on 3 days a week gets 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days. Someone on 2 days a week gets 11.2 days. Keep the decimals, do not round down: rounding 16.8 to 16 underpays leave. Most employers round up to the nearest half day because you cannot round statutory leave down.

The 12.07% method for hours based staff

For irregular hours and zero hours workers, holiday now accrues at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period. The number comes from the maths of the statutory minimum: 5.6 weeks of leave divided by the 46.4 working weeks that remain (52 minus 5.6) is 12.07%. So someone who works 130 hours in a month accrues 130 × 12.07% = 15.69 hours of holiday. Since April 2024 employers can also pay rolled up holiday pay at 12.07% on top of hourly pay for these workers, as long as it is shown separately on the payslip.

Pro rata holiday for starters and leavers

Someone who joins or leaves part way through the leave year gets a proportion of the full year figure. This calculator uses calendar days: full year entitlement × days employed in the leave year ÷ days in the leave year. Join on 1 July with a January leave year and a 5 day week and you get 28 × 184 ÷ 365 = 14.12 days, which most employers round up to 14.5. For leavers, any accrued but untaken days must be paid in the final payslip. If a leaver has taken more than they accrued, you can only deduct the overpayment if the contract allows it.

How much holiday am I entitled to?

The statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks a year. For a 5 day week that is 28 days, for a 4 day week 22.4 days, for a 3 day week 16.8 days. Your contract may give more, and your employer can include bank holidays within the total.

How do I calculate holiday entitlement for part time workers?

Multiply the number of days worked per week by 5.6. A 2.5 day week gives 14 days. If the result is above 28 it is capped at 28, but that only happens at 5 or more days a week.

What is the 12.07% holiday calculation?

It converts hours worked into holiday accrued for irregular hours staff: hours worked × 12.07%. The figure is 5.6 weeks of leave divided by 46.4 working weeks. 100 hours worked earns 12.07 hours of paid holiday.

How do I calculate holiday for someone leaving a job?

Work out the fraction of the leave year they were employed, multiply the full year entitlement by that fraction, then subtract leave already taken. The balance must be paid with the final wages if untaken.

Do bank holidays count towards the 28 day minimum?

Yes, they can. There is no separate statutory right to bank holidays in the UK. An employer offering 20 days plus 8 bank holidays meets the 28 day minimum for a 5 day week.

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