UK holiday entitlement calculator
Statutory minimum leave for full-time, part-time, joiners, leavers, and irregular-hours workers — calculated instantly, formula shown. No signup, nothing leaves your browser.
Half days are fine — e.g. 2.5
Statutory minimum entitlement
28 days
5.6 weeks × 5 days/week, capped at 28 days — bank holidays can be counted within this.
This is the statutory minimum — your contract can give more, never less. Guidance, not legal advice.
How the calculation works
5.6 weeks, capped at 28 days
Days per week × 5.6. Five days a week = 28 days; the statutory cap means 6- or 7-day patterns still get 28.
Pro-rata for part of a year
Joiners and leavers get the fraction of the year they were employed; first-year entitlement builds monthly in twelfths.
12.07% for irregular hours
Zero-hours, casual and part-year workers accrue 12.07% of hours worked each pay period (leave years from 1 April 2024).
Sources: Working Time Regulations 1998 (regs 13, 13A, 15A) and the Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023. Statutory minimums only — not legal advice.
Holiday entitlement questions, answered plainly
How is UK statutory holiday entitlement calculated?
Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per leave year. For someone with fixed days, multiply days worked per week by 5.6 — a 5-day worker gets 28 days, a 3-day worker gets 16.8 days. The statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days, so working 6 or 7 days a week does not increase the legal minimum.
Do bank holidays count towards the 5.6 weeks?
They can. There is no separate statutory right to bank holidays off — an employer can include the usual 8 English bank holidays within the 5.6-week minimum (8 + 20 = 28 for a full-timer), or add them on top. Your contract decides which.
How does holiday work for zero-hours and irregular-hours workers?
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of the hours they actually work in each pay period. Work 130 hours in a month and you accrue roughly 15.7 hours of paid leave. Employers can alternatively pay rolled-up holiday pay at 12.07% on each payslip for these workers — it must be itemised separately.
What happens to holiday when someone joins or leaves mid-year?
Entitlement is pro-rated. A leaver who has taken less than their accrued share must be paid in lieu for the balance in their final pay; if they have taken more, the contract may allow a deduction. In the first year of employment, entitlement builds up monthly at one-twelfth of the annual figure.
Can my employer give more than the statutory minimum?
Yes, and many do — the statutory figure is a floor, not a ceiling. A contract can offer any amount above 5.6 weeks; it can never validly offer less.
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