UK Holiday Entitlement Calculator – Free & Accurate

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UK Statutory Annual Leave Calculator

How UK Holiday Entitlement Works

In the UK, almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave per year, known as statutory leave entitlement. This applies to full-time, part-time, agency workers, and those with irregular hours or part-year contracts.

Key Point: For workers on a standard 5-day week, 5.6 weeks equals 28 days of paid holiday per year. This is the statutory minimum that employers must provide.

The statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days, regardless of how many days you work per week. For example, someone working 6 or 7 days per week is still only entitled to 28 days unless their employer offers more.

Statutory Leave Components

The 5.6 weeks entitlement comprises two elements:

  • 4 weeks derived from EU Working Time Directive
  • 1.6 weeks additional leave under UK domestic law

Employers may choose to include the 8 UK bank holidays within the 28-day statutory minimum, or offer them in addition to the statutory entitlement. This must be clearly stated in the employment contract.

Calculation Methods Explained

Full-Time Workers

Formula: Days worked per week × 5.6 weeks = Annual holiday entitlement
Maximum: 28 days (statutory cap applies)
Example: A worker on a 5-day week receives 5 × 5.6 = 28 days
Example: A worker on a 6-day week receives 6 × 5.6 = 33.6 days, but capped at 28 days

Part-Time Workers

Part-time workers receive the same entitlement as full-time workers, calculated on a pro-rata basis according to the days they work.

Formula: Days worked per week × 5.6 weeks = Annual holiday entitlement
Days Worked Per Week Calculation Entitlement (Before Rounding) Entitlement (Rounded Up)
5 days 5 × 5.6 28.0 days 28 days
4 days 4 × 5.6 22.4 days 22.5 days
3 days 3 × 5.6 16.8 days 17 days
2 days 2 × 5.6 11.2 days 11.5 days
1 day 1 × 5.6 5.6 days 6 days
Rounding Requirement: UK employment law requires that holiday entitlement must always be rounded up to the nearest half day or full day. Rounding down is never permitted and constitutes a breach of statutory requirements.

Irregular Hours and Part-Year Workers

From 1 April 2024, workers with irregular hours or part-year contracts accrue holiday based on hours actually worked, using the 12.07% accrual method.

Formula: Hours worked in period × 12.07% = Holiday hours accrued
Rationale: 5.6 weeks holiday ÷ 46.4 working weeks (52 – 5.6) = 12.07%
Example: Worker completes 120 hours in a month
Holiday accrual = 120 × 12.07% = 14.48 hours (14 hours 29 minutes)

Pro-Rata for Joiners and Leavers

When workers join or leave partway through the holiday year, their entitlement is calculated proportionally.

Formula for Joiners: (Full annual entitlement ÷ 12) × Months remaining = Pro-rata entitlement
Formula for Leavers: ((Full annual entitlement ÷ 12) × Months worked) – Days already taken = Remaining entitlement
Example – Joiner: Employee starts 1 June with 28 days full entitlement and leave year starting 1 January
Pro-rata entitlement = (28 ÷ 12) × 7 months = 16.33 days → Rounded up to 16.5 days

Example – Leaver: Employee leaves 1 July, has taken 10 days, full entitlement 28 days
Accrued entitlement = (28 ÷ 12) × 6 = 14 days
Remaining entitlement = 14 – 10 = 4 days owed in final pay

Bank Holidays Explained

There are 8 permanent bank holidays in England and Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland have variations):

  • New Year’s Day
  • Good Friday
  • Easter Monday
  • Early May Bank Holiday
  • Spring Bank Holiday
  • Summer Bank Holiday
  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day

Employer’s Choice: Employers can choose whether to include bank holidays within the 28-day statutory minimum or offer them as additional leave. Many employers include them within the statutory entitlement, whilst others offer 28 days plus bank holidays (36 days total).

For part-time workers, bank holidays are treated proportionally. If a part-time worker doesn’t work on the day a bank holiday falls, they don’t need to use a holiday day. However, if required to work on a bank holiday, they should receive a day off in lieu or have it counted within their pro-rata entitlement.

Holiday Pay Rates

Workers must receive their normal pay for holiday periods. The calculation depends on work patterns:

Fixed Hours and Salary

Workers with fixed hours or annual salary receive their normal weekly or monthly pay during holiday.

Variable Hours and Commission

For workers whose pay varies (including commission, overtime, or shift allowances), holiday pay is calculated as an average over the previous 52 weeks of actual work. Weeks where no work was done are excluded from the calculation.

Formula: Total pay in previous 52 working weeks ÷ 52 = Average weekly pay

Recent case law has confirmed that regular payments such as commission, regular overtime, and shift allowances must be included in holiday pay calculations for the first 4 weeks of annual leave (EU-derived entitlement).

Carrying Over Holiday

The rules on carrying over unused holiday depend on the type of leave:

Standard Position

Employers can set their own rules about carrying over the 1.6 weeks of additional UK leave (8 days for full-time workers). Many employers have “use it or lose it” policies for this portion.

EU-Derived Leave (4 Weeks)

Workers who couldn’t take the 4 weeks of EU-derived leave due to sickness, maternity, or being prevented by the employer may carry it forward. This carried-over leave can potentially accumulate over multiple years.

COVID-19 Provisions

Special regulations allowed carrying over up to 4 weeks of unused leave for 2 years if it couldn’t be taken due to coronavirus. These provisions have now expired, but carried-over leave from that period may still exist.

Employer Policies: Check your employment contract and company handbook for specific carry-over rules, as these vary between employers.

Common Scenarios

Starting a New Job

Holiday entitlement begins accruing from your first day of employment. You may need to complete a probationary period before taking holiday, but you’re entitled to accrue it during this time. Upon starting, calculate your pro-rata entitlement based on the remaining months in your employer’s leave year.

Leaving a Job

When employment ends, you’re entitled to payment for any accrued but untaken holiday. Calculate the days accrued up to your leaving date, subtract days already taken, and you’ll receive payment for the balance. If you’ve taken more holiday than accrued, employers can deduct this from final pay only if stated in your contract.

Sickness During Holiday

If you fall ill during pre-booked holiday and follow your employer’s sickness reporting procedures, those days can be reclaimed as sick leave rather than holiday. You’ll need to provide medical evidence for the period of sickness.

Maternity, Paternity, and Parental Leave

Holiday continues to accrue during maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave at the normal rate. Many employees take their accrued holiday immediately before or after their family leave to extend time with their child.

Zero-Hours Contracts

Workers on zero-hours contracts have the same holiday rights as other workers. Holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked. Employers must allow zero-hours workers to take their accrued holiday and cannot offer “rolled-up holiday pay” (paying a higher hourly rate instead of providing holiday).

Agency Workers

Agency workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday per year, calculated using the same methods as direct employees. The agency (not the client company) is responsible for providing and paying for holiday entitlement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my employer refuse my holiday request?
Yes, employers can refuse holiday requests if they have legitimate business reasons. However, they must give you notice of at least the same length as the holiday you requested. For example, if you request 5 days off, they must tell you at least 5 days before the intended start date if refusing. Employers cannot prevent you from taking your statutory entitlement during the leave year.
What notice must I give to book holiday?
Unless your contract states otherwise, you should give notice of at least twice the length of the holiday you want to take. For a 5-day holiday, this means 10 days’ notice. Employers can set different notice periods in contracts or workplace policies.
Can my employer force me to take holiday at specific times?
Yes, employers can require you to take holiday at certain times (such as Christmas shutdown periods) by giving you notice of at least twice the length of the holiday. For example, 10 days’ notice for a 5-day closure. This must be specified or at least referenced in your employment contract.
Do I get paid more if I work on a bank holiday?
There’s no automatic legal right to enhanced pay for working bank holidays. Whether you receive extra pay, time off in lieu, or simply work at your normal rate depends entirely on your employment contract. Many employers offer premium rates (such as time-and-a-half), but this is contractual, not statutory.
What if I’ve taken more holiday than I’ve accrued when I leave?
Employers can deduct the value of excess holiday taken from your final pay, but only if your contract explicitly permits this. Without such a clause, employers cannot make the deduction. This commonly occurs when employees leave shortly after the start of a new leave year having taken holiday in advance.
Am I entitled to holiday during my notice period?
Yes, you continue to accrue and can take holiday during your notice period. However, employers can refuse holiday requests during notice if they have business reasons. Some contracts state that accrued holiday must be taken during the notice period, whilst others allow payment in lieu.
What happens to my holiday if I’m made redundant?
You must be paid for all accrued but untaken holiday as part of your redundancy settlement. Calculate your entitlement up to your termination date, subtract days taken, and the balance must be paid. This payment is separate from redundancy pay and notice pay.
Can rolled-up holiday pay be offered instead of paid holiday?
No, rolled-up holiday pay (paying a higher rate instead of providing actual paid holiday) is not permitted in the UK. All workers must receive paid time off. However, for irregular hours workers, holiday pay can be calculated and paid when holiday is taken based on the 12.07% accrual method.
How does holiday work if I have multiple jobs?
Each employer is responsible for providing the full statutory entitlement independently. If you work for two employers, you’re entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday from each, calculated according to your working pattern with each employer. Your employers don’t need to coordinate holiday periods.
What if my employer’s holiday year differs from the calendar year?
Employers can set any 12-month period as their holiday year. Common choices include calendar year (January-December), tax year (April-March), or anniversary of the company’s formation. Your entitlement is calculated based on your employer’s defined leave year, which should be stated in your contract.

References

  • GOV.UK. Holiday entitlement. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights
  • GOV.UK. Calculate your holiday entitlement. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-holiday-entitlement
  • The Working Time Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1833), as amended by The Employment Rights Act 1996 (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
  • ACAS. Holidays and holiday pay. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/checking-holiday-entitlement
  • Department for Business and Trade. (2024). Holiday entitlement and pay for irregular hours and part-year workers: guidance for employers. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/calculating-holiday-entitlement-for-workers-without-fixed-hours-or-pay
  • Harpur Trust v Brazel [2022] UKSC 21 – Supreme Court judgment on holiday pay calculation for part-year workers

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