UK Holiday Entitlement 2026/27 — 28 Days, Bank Holidays & Pay Rules
UK statutory holiday entitlement is 5.6 weeks (28 days) for full-time workers. Part-time pro-rata, bank holiday rules, holiday pay calculation, and carry-over explained.
8 min readPublished 3 June 2026Updated 3 June 2026
Calculate your exact holiday entitlement figures instantly
This is the statutory minimum for all workers. Part-time workers receive the same 5.6 weeks, calculated pro-rata. Bank holidays can be included in the 28-day total — check your contract.
Statutory Holiday Entitlement at a Glance
Working Pattern
Days/Week
Annual Entitlement
Full-time
5 days
28 days (5.6 × 5)
4-day week
4 days
22.4 days (5.6 × 4)
3-day week
3 days
16.8 days (5.6 × 3)
2-day week
2 days
11.2 days (5.6 × 2)
1-day week
1 day
5.6 days (5.6 × 1)
The 5.6-week minimum is set by the Working Time Regulations 1998. Employers can offer more — many do — but they cannot offer less.
Ready to calculate? Get your exact holiday entitlement figures.
There is no automatic right to paid bank holidays in the UK. Bank holidays can be treated in one of two ways:
Included in the 28 days: The most common arrangement. Your 28 days covers both annual leave and bank holidays. With 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, this leaves 20 days of discretionary leave.
In addition to the 28 days: Some employers grant 28 days plus bank holidays — giving up to 36 days total. This is above the statutory minimum and must be specified in the contract.
Check your employment contract carefully. The phrase "28 days including bank holidays" means you only have 20 flexible days. "28 days plus bank holidays" means you have 28 flexible days.
Part-time workers have the same right to 5.6 weeks as full-time workers. Their entitlement is simply calculated in proportion to their working days or hours.
Entitlement = 5.6 weeks × Days worked per week
A worker on a 3-day week gets 5.6 × 3 = 16.8 days. This includes their proportion of bank holidays — if there are 8 bank holidays and they work 3 days, their bank holiday entitlement is 8 × 3/5 = 4.8 bank holidays.
For workers with no set hours, the law changed in April 2024. There are now two options:
Accrual method: Workers accrue 1/52nd of their annual entitlement for each week they work. Maximum accrual is still 5.6 weeks per year.
Rolled-up holiday pay: From April 2024, employers can legally add 12.07% to each pay packet as holiday pay (12.07% = 5.6 ÷ 46.4 working weeks). Workers must be clearly informed this is included.
The 12.07% rolled-up method was unlawful before April 2024 following Harpur Trust v Brazel (Supreme Court, 2022). The Employment Rights Act 2024 restored it specifically for irregular-hours workers.
Holiday pay must reflect your normal pay — not just your basic salary. HMRC and the courts require:
Fixed-hours workers: A normal day's pay for each day of holiday taken.
Variable pay workers (overtime, commission, bonuses): The average of the last 52 weeks in which you were actually paid. Weeks with no pay are excluded — you look back further to find 52 paid weeks.
The 52-week reference period was introduced by the Good Work Plan (2020) to ensure workers with irregular earnings receive fair holiday pay. Claims for underpaid holiday pay can go back 2 years.
Absence Type
Holiday Continues to Accrue?
Statutory Maternity Leave (all 52 weeks)
Yes — full entitlement accrues
Statutory Paternity Leave
Yes — full entitlement accrues
Shared Parental Leave
Yes — full entitlement accrues
Statutory Sick Leave (SSP period)
Yes — full entitlement accrues
Long-term sick leave
Yes — full entitlement accrues throughout
Unpaid leave (agreed)
Only if contracted — check your agreement
Workers who cannot take holiday due to long-term sickness can carry over up to 4 weeks indefinitely, and must be allowed to take it within 18 months of the leave year in which it accrued.
The 5.6-week entitlement is split into two parts for carry-over purposes:
4 weeks (20 days for full-time): This EU-derived entitlement can only be carried over if the worker was unable to take it — for example due to sickness or maternity leave. It cannot simply be carried over because the worker chose not to take it.
1.6 weeks (8 days for full-time): This additional UK entitlement can be carried over by agreement with the employer. Many employers allow this in their contracts.
If an employer prevents a worker from taking their holiday (e.g., by denying requests), the worker can carry over that holiday indefinitely — there is no limit if the employer is at fault.
On termination of employment, workers are entitled to:
Payment for all accrued but untaken holiday (calculated on a daily basis for the portion of the year worked)
If you have taken more holiday than you have accrued, the employer may be entitled to deduct the overage — but only if the contract expressly allows it
Accrued entitlement = (Months worked ÷ 12) × Annual entitlement
For example, if you leave after 3 months on a 28-day entitlement: 3/12 × 28 = 7 days accrued. If you have taken 5, you are owed payment for 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days holiday am I entitled to in the UK?
All workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks (28 days for a full-time 5-day week) of paid holiday per year. This is the statutory minimum — your employer can offer more. Part-time workers receive the same 5.6 weeks, pro-rated to their working days.
Do bank holidays count as part of my 28 days?
Only if your contract says so. Most UK employers include bank holidays within the 28-day entitlement, leaving 20 discretionary days. Check whether your contract says "28 days including bank holidays" or "28 days plus bank holidays" — the difference is significant.
How is holiday entitlement calculated for part-time workers?
Multiply 5.6 weeks by the number of days worked per week. A 3-day week gives 16.8 days; a 4-day week gives 22.4 days. Use our holiday entitlement calculator for exact figures, including bank holiday entitlement.
How is holiday pay calculated?
For fixed-hours workers, holiday pay equals a normal day's pay. For workers with variable pay (overtime, commission, irregular hours), it must be the average of the last 52 weeks in which they were actually paid — weeks with no earnings are excluded.
Can unused holiday be carried over?
Up to 4 weeks can be carried over if you were unable to take it due to sickness or family leave. A further 1.6 weeks can be carried over by agreement with your employer. Holiday you simply chose not to take generally cannot be carried over unless your contract allows it.
Knowing your entitlement is step one. Step two is using it strategically. In 2026, the bank holidays fall in a way that creates some exceptional opportunities — including getting 10 days off for just 3 days of annual leave at Christmas. See our full guide:
