What is the statutory holiday entitlement in the UK?

UK workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. For a full-time worker (5 days per week), this equates to 28 days. This can include bank holidays.

Do bank holidays count towards my holiday entitlement?

There is no statutory right to paid bank holidays. Employers can include bank holidays as part of the 5.6 weeks statutory entitlement. Check your contract to see how your employer handles bank holidays.

How is holiday calculated for part-time workers?

Part-time workers receive the same 5.6 weeks holiday entitlement, calculated pro-rata based on their working pattern. For example, someone working 3 days per week would be entitled to 16.8 days (5.6 × 3 = 16.8 days).

Can I carry over unused holiday?

The statutory minimum of 4 weeks (20 days for full-time) cannot usually be carried over. However, employers may allow up to 1.6 weeks (8 days for full-time) to be carried over. Many employers have more generous carry-over policies.

How is holiday calculated if I start mid-year?

Holiday entitlement is pro-rated based on how much of the leave year you work. If you start on 1 July (halfway through the year), you would be entitled to half your annual allowance for that year.

What happens to unused holiday when I leave a job?

You are entitled to be paid for any accrued but unused holiday when you leave. This is calculated based on how much of the leave year has passed and how much holiday you have already taken.

How is holiday pay calculated?

Holiday pay must reflect your normal remuneration. For fixed-hours workers, this is your normal day's pay for each day of holiday taken. For workers with variable pay (overtime, commission, or irregular hours), holiday pay is calculated as the average earnings over the previous 52 weeks worked. Weeks with no pay are excluded — you look back further to find 52 paid weeks. The 52-week reference period ensures variable earners receive fair holiday pay based on what they actually earn.

What is time off in lieu (TOIL) and how does it work?

Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) is an arrangement where employees work extra hours and, instead of receiving overtime pay, they take equivalent time off later. TOIL is separate from statutory holiday entitlement — employees must still receive their full 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave regardless of any TOIL arrangement. Employers are not legally required to offer TOIL; it is a contractual arrangement. TOIL cannot replace statutory leave.

How do bank holidays work for part-time workers?

Part-time workers are entitled to a pro-rata share of bank holidays. In England, there are 8 bank holidays per year. A full-time 5-day worker gets all 8. A part-time worker on 3 days per week gets 3/5 × 8 = 4.8 bank holiday days. Importantly, if bank holidays regularly fall on days they don't work, they may end up with disproportionately fewer bank holidays. Employers must ensure total entitlement (including bank holidays) is equal on a pro-rata basis.

How does holiday accrual work?

Employees accrue holiday as they work. The standard method is 1/12 of annual entitlement per month worked. For a full-time worker entitled to 28 days, that's 2.33 days per month. For hourly or irregular workers, holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked (5.6 weeks ÷ 46.4 working weeks). Holiday continues to accrue during statutory leave (maternity, paternity, sickness) and during notice periods.

Do zero-hours workers get holiday entitlement?

Yes. Zero-hours and casual workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday just like other workers. Because their hours are irregular, entitlement is calculated as 12.07% of hours worked. For example, if a zero-hours worker works 100 hours, they accrue 12.07 hours of holiday pay. Since April 2024, workers can receive rolled-up holiday pay (paid as they earn it at 12.07% on top of their hourly rate) if both parties agree in writing.

Can I be paid in lieu of annual leave?

You cannot be paid in lieu of the 5.6 weeks statutory minimum while still employed. The purpose of annual leave law is to ensure workers actually take time off for their health and wellbeing. The only time statutory holiday can be paid out in cash is when employment ends (as payment for accrued but untaken leave). Any contractual holiday above the statutory minimum may be paid out if the employer's policy permits.

Holiday Entitlement Calculator UK | Full-Time, Part-Time & Pro-Rata

Calculate annual leave entitlement for any working pattern — full-time, part-time, or part-year. Covers pro-rata, bank holidays by region, and holiday pay. Free UK calculator updated for 2026/27.

Annual Leave Entitlement in the UK: The Rules Explained

All UK workers are entitled to paid annual leave — also called holiday allowance or holiday entitlement. Understanding how it is calculated helps employers stay compliant and helps employees plan their time off.

Statutory Holiday Entitlement

Under UK law, almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. This is the minimum - many employers offer more. For someone working a standard 5-day week, this equals 28 days.

Important: This entitlement can include bank holidays. There is no automatic right to paid bank holidays on top of the 28 days. Check your contract to see how your employer handles this.

Pro-Rata Annual Leave for Part-Time Workers

Part-time workers receive the same 5.6 weeks entitlement, calculated pro-rata based on their working pattern. The formula is simple:

5.6 weeks × days worked per week = annual holiday days

For example:

3 days per week = 16.8 days holiday
4 days per week = 22.4 days holiday
2.5 days per week = 14 days holiday

Entitlement by Working Pattern

Days per Week	Statutory Entitlement	In Hours (7.5h day)	Including Bank Hols (England)
1 day	5.6 days	42.0 hours	5.6 days (inc. ~1.6 bank hols)
2 days	11.2 days	84.0 hours	11.2 days (inc. ~3.2 bank hols)
3 days	16.8 days	126.0 hours	16.8 days (inc. ~4.8 bank hols)
4 days	22.4 days	168.0 hours	22.4 days (inc. ~6.4 bank hols)
5 days	28.0 days	210.0 hours	28.0 days (inc. 8 bank hols)
6 days	28.0 days*	210.0 hours	28.0 days (inc. 8 bank hols)

*The statutory maximum is capped at 28 days regardless of working pattern. Workers on 6+ days per week receive the same 28 days as 5-day workers.

Bank Holidays by Region

The number of bank holidays varies by region:

England and Wales: 8 bank holidays
Scotland: 9 bank holidays
Northern Ireland: 10 bank holidays

Part-Year and Term-Time Workers

Workers who don't work the full year (such as term-time only staff or those who start mid-year) have their holiday pro-rated based on the proportion of the year they work.

For example, if you work 6 months of the year and would normally be entitled to 28 days, your entitlement would be 14 days (28 × 6/12 = 14).

Carrying Over Holiday

The first 4 weeks of holiday (20 days for full-time) generally cannot be carried over to the next year - it's use it or lose it. However, the additional 1.6 weeks (8 days for full-time) may be carried over if your employer's policy allows.

There are exceptions - holiday can be carried over if:

The employee was on maternity, paternity, or adoption leave
The employee was too ill to take holiday
The employer prevented the employee from taking holiday

Holiday Pay Calculations

Holiday pay should be based on the employee's normal weekly earnings. For workers with variable pay, this is typically calculated as an average over the previous 52 weeks of work.

How to Calculate Holiday Pay

Holiday pay must reflect an employee's normal remuneration — not just their basic salary. This matters particularly for workers who regularly receive overtime, commission, or shift allowances.

Fixed-Hours Workers

For workers with consistent hours and pay, holiday pay is simply their normal daily rate for each day of leave taken. If someone earns £30,000/year on a 5-day week, their daily holiday pay is £30,000 ÷ 260 working days = £115.38 per day.

Variable-Pay Workers

Where pay varies (overtime, commission, irregular hours), holiday pay is calculated as the average weekly earnings over the previous 52 weeks that were actually worked. Weeks with no pay are skipped — you look back further to find 52 paid weeks. This 52-week reference period was introduced in April 2020 to ensure workers with seasonal or variable patterns receive fair holiday pay.

Rolled-Up Holiday Pay (Zero-Hours and Casual Workers)

Since April 2024, employers can pay rolled-up holiday pay to workers with irregular hours or part-year contracts. This means paying an additional 12.07% on top of the hourly rate to cover holiday entitlement, rather than the worker taking leave separately. Both parties must agree in writing.

Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) — Holiday in Lieu Explained

Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) is a workplace arrangement where employees work extra hours and instead of receiving overtime pay, they bank equivalent time off to use later.

Key rules for TOIL

TOIL is separate from statutory annual leave — it supplements, not replaces it
Employees must still receive their full 5.6 weeks of paid leave regardless of TOIL
There is no legal requirement for employers to offer TOIL — it is a contractual arrangement
Unused TOIL can typically be paid out when employment ends, unlike statutory leave
Employers should have a written TOIL policy covering how it accrues and when it can be taken

There is no dedicated TOIL calculator — TOIL is simply a direct exchange of hours worked for equivalent hours off.

Bank Holiday Entitlement for Part-Time Workers

Part-time workers are entitled to a pro-rata share of bank holidaysbased on their working pattern relative to a full-time worker.

Pro-rata bank holiday formula

Bank holiday entitlement = (Days per week ÷ 5) × Bank holidays per year

Days per Week	England (8 bank hols)	Scotland (9 bank hols)	N. Ireland (10 bank hols)
1 day	1.6 days	1.8 days	2.0 days
2 days	3.2 days	3.6 days	4.0 days
3 days	4.8 days	5.4 days	6.0 days
4 days	6.4 days	7.2 days	8.0 days
5 days	8.0 days	9.0 days	10.0 days

Important: If bank holidays consistently fall on days a part-time worker does not work (e.g. a Monday-only worker who never works bank holidays), the employer must compensate with equivalent time off or additional pay to maintain equal pro-rata entitlement.

Holiday Accrual Calculator: How Annual Leave Builds Up

Employees begin accruing holiday from their first day of employment, including during any probationary period.

Standard Monthly Holiday Accrual

Monthly accrual = Annual entitlement ÷ 12

A full-time worker with 28 days entitlement accrues 2.33 days per month. After 3 months: 7 days. After 6 months: 14 days.

Hourly Holiday Accrual for Zero-Hours and Irregular Workers

For zero-hours, casual, or irregular workers, holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked. This figure comes from 5.6 weeks ÷ 46.4 working weeks (52 weeks minus the 5.6 weeks holiday itself).

Hours Worked	Holiday Accrued (hours)	Equivalent Days (8h day)
50 hours	6.0 hours	0.75 days
100 hours	12.1 hours	1.5 days
200 hours	24.1 hours	3.0 days
400 hours	48.3 hours	6.0 days

Accrual during leave and absence

Holiday continues to accrue during:

Maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
Sickness absence (including long-term sick leave)
Notice periods (whether working or on garden leave)

Holiday and Your Employment Budget

Holiday entitlement affects your overall staffing costs and planning. Use our employee cost calculator to budget for the full cost of hiring, or check SSP obligations to plan for employee absence alongside annual leave.

Holiday Entitlement Calculator UK