Free UK Tool

Holiday Entitlement Calculator

Calculate your statutory minimum holiday entitlement in seconds. Supports full-time, part-time, and variable-hours workers. Updated for 2025.

Are you getting the right amount?

The 5.6-weeks rule trips up a lot of employers — especially for part-time and variable-hours workers. This calculator tells you what you should actually be receiving.

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Calculate your entitlement

Answer a few questions to get your statutory minimum.

How it works

Tell us about your work pattern

Full-time, part-time, or variable hours — the rules are different for each. We'll ask a few quick questions about your schedule.

We calculate your statutory minimum

Based on the Working Time Regulations 1998, which sets the minimum at 5.6 weeks' holiday per year for all eligible workers.

See your full breakdown

Get your total days, the bank holiday breakdown, and your monthly accrual rate — with a plain-English explanation of how it was calculated.

Key facts about UK holiday entitlement

5.6 weeks — the statutory minimum holiday entitlement per year for all eligible workers in the UK
28 days — the minimum for a full-time worker on a 5-day week (5.6 x 5 = 28)
20+8 or 28 total? — some employers give 20 days + 8 bank holidays = 28 total; others give 28 days including bank holidays. They are not the same.
12.07% accrual rate — for irregular-hours and part-year workers with leave years from 1 April 2024: you build up holiday as you work, at 12.07% of each hour completed (Working Time Regulations, reg.16)
3 months less a day — typical time limit to bring an unlawful deduction from wages claim (subject to ACAS early conciliation rules)

5.6 weeks — what does that actually mean?

The baseline rule

The statutory minimum holiday entitlement in the UK is 5.6 weeks per year for all eligible workers. This is set by the Working Time Regulations 1998.

Full-time workers

For a worker on a 5-day week: 5.6 weeks × 5 days = 28 days per year. This is the most common baseline.

Part-time workers

Entitlement is calculated pro-rata. A worker on 3 days a week gets: (3 ÷ 5) × 28 = 16.8 days. Employers must not round down in a way that gives you less than the statutory minimum.

The wording trap

"28 days including bank holidays" and "20 days plus bank holidays" can produce different practical outcomes. Always check how your contract treats bank holidays — they are not the same thing.

Part-time workers: the pro-rata rule

Your entitlement scales with your hours

If you work part-time, your holiday must be calculated pro-rata — in proportion to the hours or days you work compared to a full-time colleague. You cannot be given fewer days per year than the full-time equivalent, scaled to your hours.

Worked example

A full-time colleague works 40 hours a week (5 days) and gets 28 days. You work 24 hours a week (3 days). Your entitlement: (3 ÷ 5) × 28 = 16.8 days. Your employer must give you at least 16.8 days — rounding down to 16 is not permitted.

Bank holidays and part-time workers

The same pro-rata rule applies to bank holidays. If your part-time hours mean you would have worked on a bank holiday that falls on a normal working day for you, you are entitled to a substitute day's holiday or pay in lieu.

Variable hours? You accrue holiday as you work

Who this applies to

If your hours vary week to week — for example on a zero-hours contract, casual contract, or seasonal pattern — you accrue holiday at 12.07% of the hours you work. This is the statutory accrual method for irregular-hours and part-year workers under WTR 1998, regulation 16. Applies to leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024.

Why 12.07%?

The formula: 5.6 weeks ÷ (52 weeks − 5.6 weeks) = 0.1207. This represents your holiday entitlement as a proportion of your total working time in the year. Work 40 hours in a week → accrue 40 × 0.1207 = 4.83 hours of holiday.

How it builds up

Each week you work, you accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours actually worked. If you average 25 hours a week across the year, you'd accrue roughly 157 hours — around 21 days at 7.5 hours per day. The more you work, the more you build up.

Holiday pay is different

Accruing entitlement (building up holiday) and being paid when you take it are two separate things. When you take holiday, your pay is calculated using a 52-week averaging method — not the 12.07% formula. See ACAS guidance on holiday pay.

Frequently asked questions

No. The Working Time Regulations 1998 give every eligible worker the right to a minimum of 5.6 weeks' paid holiday per year. This is a legal right that cannot be contracted out of except in very limited circumstances. Your employer cannot refuse your statutory holiday entitlement.
Yes, partly. Your employer can impose restrictions on when holidays can be taken — for example, requiring you to book in advance, not allowing holidays during peak periods, or limiting the number of people off at the same time. Under the statutory default rules, an employer refusing or cancelling leave should usually give notice at least as long as the leave requested (GOV.UK explains this as the leave requested plus 1 day), unless your contract says otherwise.
If you leave your job, your employer must pay you for any holiday you have accrued but not taken. This is called "payment in lieu of holiday" (PILON). For workers with variable pay, holiday pay is generally based on a 52 paid-week reference period (looking back up to 104 weeks where needed). If you have taken more holiday than you have accrued, your employer may deduct this from final pay only where there is a clear contractual basis.
It depends on what your employer says. If your contract says "28 days holiday including bank holidays", then yes — your 8 (England & Wales/Scotland) or 10 (Northern Ireland) bank holidays are already included in your 28 days and you get no extra. If it says "20 days plus bank holidays", you get 20 + 8 (or 10) = 28 days total. Both meet the statutory minimum — but check your contract to know which applies to you.
First, speak to your employer or HR department — there may be a simple misunderstanding. If that does not resolve it, contact ACAS (0300 123 1100) for free advice. If underpayment continues, you can make a claim for unlawful deduction from wages at an employment tribunal. You have 3 months less a day from the underpayment to make the claim. Citizens Advice can also help with the process.
Legally, your employer can require you to take all your statutory holiday within the leave year — they do not have to allow it to be carried over. However, if you were unable to take holiday due to a genuine business reason (for example, long-term sickness or maternity leave), you may be entitled to carry over up to 20 days of your statutory entitlement to the next leave year. Contractual holiday above the statutory minimum has its own rules set out in your contract.
If you work regular shifts, your holiday entitlement is typically calculated based on your average weekly hours over a reference period. Shift workers are entitled to the same 5.6-week minimum as any other worker. If your shifts vary significantly in length, your employer should calculate your entitlement in hours rather than days to ensure you receive the correct amount. ACAS has specific guidance for shift workers.