Free HR toolHoliday entitlement and holiday pay calculator
Work out how much statutory holiday someone is entitled to, including part time staff, people who join or leave part way through the year, and workers with irregular hours. For employers and employees in England, Scotland and Wales.
Your result
Fill in the steps and press Calculate holiday. Your result and how it was worked out will appear here.
An estimate based on GOV.UK guidance for England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own rules. This is not legal advice; check contracts and payroll before relying on it.
How holiday entitlement works
The basic rule
Almost everyone who works for you is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For a five day week that's 28 days, and you can choose to include bank holidays in that figure. The legal maximum is 28 days, so someone working six days a week still gets 28. You can always give more in the contract, and most employers do.
Part time staff
Multiply the days worked each week by 5.6. Three days a week gives at least 16.8 days. If your full time team gets more than the minimum, part time colleagues should get the same pro rata.
Joining or leaving part way through the year
New starters build up one twelfth of the year's entitlement for each month, counted from their first day, and in the first year part days are rounded up to the nearest half day. Leavers are entitled to a share based on how much of the leave year they worked, and any untaken holiday must be paid in their final pay.
Irregular hours and part year workers
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, holiday for these workers builds up at 12.07% of the hours they actually work in each pay period. You can also choose to pay holiday as you go ("rolled up holiday pay") at 12.07% of their pay, shown as a separate line on the payslip.
Holiday pay
Holiday is paid at a normal week's pay. If pay varies, use the average of the last 52 weeks in which they were paid. For at least 4 of the 5.6 weeks, "normal" pay should include regular overtime and commission.
Need to plan who's off and when? Read our guide to managing annual leave requests and download the free annual leave handover template.
Holiday entitlement FAQs
How much holiday is an employee entitled to in the UK?
Almost all workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working 5 days a week that is 28 days, which can include bank holidays. Statutory holiday is capped at 28 days, even for people who work 6 or 7 days a week.
How do I work out holiday for a part time employee?
Multiply the number of days they work each week by 5.6. Someone working 3 days a week is entitled to at least 16.8 days. If full time staff get more than the legal minimum, part time staff should get the same amount pro rata.
How is holiday worked out when someone starts or leaves part way through the year?
They get a share of the full year's entitlement. For a new starter this is one twelfth for each month left in the leave year, rounded up to the nearest half day. For a leaver it is based on how much of the leave year they worked, and you must pay them for any holiday they've built up but not taken.
What is the 12.07% holiday rule?
For irregular hours and part year workers in leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period. The figure comes from 5.6 weeks of holiday divided by the 46.4 weeks of the year that are actually worked. If the result is half an hour or more, it is rounded up to the next whole hour.
What is rolled up holiday pay?
It is when holiday pay is added to each payslip as you go, at 12.07% of pay, instead of being paid when the holiday is taken. It is only allowed for irregular hours and part year workers, for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, and must show as a separate item on the payslip. It is not allowed for staff with regular hours.
How much notice does an employee need to give for holiday?
Unless the contract says otherwise, at least twice the length of the holiday plus one day, so 3 days' notice for 1 day off. An employer can refuse with notice equal to the length of the holiday plus one day, but cannot stop someone taking their leave altogether.
Can holiday be carried over to next year?
Up to 8 days of the 28 can be carried over if the contract allows. Staff who couldn't take holiday because of sickness or family leave can carry it over, and so can anyone who wasn't given a fair chance to take it.
Do I need to keep holiday records?
Yes. From 6 April 2026 employers must keep records of annual leave and holiday pay for at least 6 years, and can be fined if they can't show them.
Official sources
This calculator follows the methods used in the GOV.UK holiday entitlement calculator and guidance. Last checked 13 October 2026.
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