How Many Days Holiday Am I Entitled To?

The short answer

If you work five days a week, the statutory minimum is 28 days a year. That is 5.6 weeks, and it is the maximum statutory entitlement recognised in UK law — a longer working week does not increase it.

If you work fewer days, entitlement is pro-rated. Four days gives 22.4 days, three days gives 16.8, two days gives 11.2, and one day gives 5.6 days. These are minimums: your contract can give more, and often does.

Why 5.6 weeks, not four weeks

The Working Time Regulations 1998 set four weeks of leave, derived from the European Working Time Directive. UK regulations added a further 1.6 weeks, bringing the total to 5.6 weeks. The four-week portion carries additional protection: it can be carried over in more circumstances and cannot be replaced by a payment in lieu while you are employed.

The 28-day cap matters mainly for people working six or seven days a week. At six days a week, 5.6 weeks would be 33.6 days, but the statutory entitlement stops at 28. Contractual schemes can exceed that.

The bank holiday question

Most confusion comes from whether the 28 days include bank holidays. It depends entirely on your contract wording, not on the law.

If your contract says 28 days including bank holidays, the eight bank holidays in England and Wales come out of that total, leaving 20 flexible days. If it says 20 days plus bank holidays, you get 20 flexible days plus the bank holidays that fall on days you would otherwise work. Both are lawful, and the second is more generous.

• Check the exact words in your contract or staff handbook.
• Only bank holidays falling on your working days count against you.
• A bank holiday on a day you never work should not reduce your entitlement.

If you started or left mid-year

Entitlement accrues from your first day and is pro-rated for the part of the leave year you are employed. For a five-day week starting 1 September in a calendar leave year, the calculation is 28 × (122 ÷ 365) = 9.4 days.

On leaving, any accrued but untaken statutory holiday must be paid in your final payslip. Holiday you have taken in excess of accrual can only be recovered where the contract allows it, and never in a way that takes you below the National Minimum Wage.

When your contract gives more

Many employers offer 25 or 30 days plus bank holidays. Where the contractual entitlement is more generous, that figure applies — the statutory minimum is a floor, not a target. If a contract is silent or vague, the statutory minimum applies by default.

Some contracts express entitlement in hours rather than days. That is lawful, and for variable-hours workers it is often clearer: 5.6 weeks of your normal week, expressed in hours.

Entitlement in hours rather than days

Many contracts express holiday in hours, which is clearer for anyone whose shifts vary in length. The conversion is 5.6 × your normal weekly hours. A 37.5-hour week gives 210 hours; a 22.5-hour week gives 126 hours; a 15-hour week gives 84 hours.

Hours also handle the awkward case of shifts that are not the same length. If your roster mixes eight- and ten-hour days, taking holiday in hours means a ten-hour shift uses ten hours of entitlement rather than being counted as one day. What matters is consistency: the same method should be used for accrual and for booking.

If your hours change during the year

Entitlement is recalculated when your contracted hours change, and the year is normally split at the date of the change. Moving from five days to three days in July means the first part of the year accrues on the five-day figure and the remainder on the three-day figure.

Two things to watch. First, leave you have already accrued at the old pattern is not reduced by the change — it was earned. Second, if you move from part-time to full-time, ask for the recalculation date to be confirmed in writing, because payroll systems often apply changes from the start of the next leave year, which understates the new entitlement.

How Many Days Holiday Am I Entitled To? — FAQs

Is 28 days the legal maximum?

It is the maximum statutory entitlement. An employer can offer more, and many do, but they are not required to.

Do bank holidays count towards my 28 days?

Only if your contract says the 28 days are inclusive of bank holidays. If it says "plus bank holidays", they are additional.

Can my employer round 22.4 days down to 22?

No. Rounding down takes you below 5.6 weeks. Rounding up, for example to 22.5, is lawful.

Do I get holiday for a part year?

Yes. Entitlement accrues from day one and is pro-rated to the portion of the leave year you work.

Related guides

• Part-Time Workers: Your Holiday Rights
• Bank Holidays: Included or Extra?
• Holiday Entitlement When Starting Mid-Year

Work out your own figure with the holiday entitlement calculator or check what you should be paid with the holiday pay calculator.

Review and sources

Reviewed October 2026 against the Working Time Regulations 1998, GOV.UK holiday entitlement guidance and ACAS. Figures are the statutory minimum in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; contractual terms may be more generous. Not legal advice — see the editorial policy and contact page.