How much paid holiday are you entitled to in the UK? Almost every worker gets 5.6 weeks of statutory annual leave a year – but how that turns into days or hours depends on your working pattern. This guide explains how to calculate holiday entitlement in the UK for full-time, part-time, shift and irregular-hours workers, including the 12.07% method, starters and leavers, bank holidays and holiday pay.
Statutory Holiday Entitlement: 5.6 Weeks
Under the Working Time Regulations, almost all workers in Great Britain – full-time, part-time, agency and zero-hours – are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working 5 days a week, that is 28 days. Statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days, even for people who work 6 days a week. Employers can include the bank holidays in this total – there is no legal right to bank holidays off on top of the 28 days, unless your contract says so. Northern Ireland has similar rules under its own legislation.
How to Calculate Holiday Entitlement in Days
Holiday days = days worked per week × 5.6
| Days worked per week | Statutory holiday |
|---|---|
| 5 days | 28 days (the maximum) |
| 4 days | 22.4 days |
| 3 days | 16.8 days |
| 2 days | 11.2 days |
| 1 day | 5.6 days |
Employers can round up part days but cannot round down. Many employers give more than the statutory minimum as contractual holiday.
Part-Time Holiday Entitlement in Hours
If you work different lengths of day, calculating in hours is fairer:
Holiday hours = hours worked per week × 5.6
Someone working 37.5 hours a week gets 37.5 × 5.6 = 210 hours of holiday. A part-timer working 20 hours a week gets 112 hours. When you take a day off, the hours for that day are deducted from your balance.
Irregular-Hours and Part-Year Workers: The 12.07% Method
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, irregular-hours workers (whose paid hours vary each pay period, such as zero-hours workers) and part-year workers (such as term-time staff) in Great Britain accrue holiday at 12.07% of the hours they work in each pay period.
Holiday accrued = hours worked × 12.07%
The figure comes from 5.6 weeks ÷ 46.4 working weeks (52 − 5.6). If you work 100 hours in a month, you accrue 12.07 hours of paid holiday. If you work 120 hours, you accrue about 14.5 hours. For these workers, employers may also use rolled-up holiday pay – adding 12.07% to pay for each period instead of paying when the holiday is taken – as long as it is shown clearly on the payslip.
Starting or Leaving Part-Way Through the Year
If you start a job during the leave year, you get a pro rata share of the annual entitlement:
Entitlement = full-year entitlement × (months remaining ÷ 12)
A full-time worker who starts on 1 July in a January–December leave year gets 28 × 6 ÷ 12 = 14 days for that first year. In the first year, holiday usually builds up at one-twelfth of the annual entitlement at the start of each month.
When you leave, your employer must pay you for statutory holiday you have accrued but not taken. If you have taken more than you have accrued, your employer can only recover the excess if your contract allows it. Check your final payslip carefully. To find your last working day, try our notice period calculator.
Bank Holidays
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays a year, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10. Whether you get them off, and whether they count towards your 28 days, depends on your contract. Part-time workers must not be treated less favourably: if full-time staff get bank holidays on top of their leave, part-timers should get a pro rata equivalent, even if they do not normally work on Mondays. To count working days in a period after bank holidays, see our days calculator.
Holiday Pay
Holiday must be paid at your normal rate of pay. For the 4 weeks derived from EU law, this includes regular overtime, commission and certain allowances. For workers whose pay varies, holiday pay is based on average pay over the previous 52 paid weeks. Calculate your total hours and pay for a period with our time calculator.
Carrying Over Holiday
- You can usually carry over up to 1.6 weeks (8 days for a 5-day worker) into the next leave year if your contract allows it.
- The main 4 weeks generally cannot be carried over, except in certain situations – for example if you could not take it because of sickness, maternity or family leave, or because your employer did not give you a reasonable opportunity.
- Your employer can require you to take holiday at particular times, such as a Christmas shutdown, if they give the right notice.
Requesting and Refusing Holiday
Unless your contract says otherwise, you must give notice of at least twice the length of the holiday you want – for example, 2 weeks' notice for 1 week off. Your employer can refuse, but must give notice at least as long as the holiday requested. Employers cannot refuse to let you take your statutory leave at all during the year.
Worked Examples
| Worker | Pattern | Statutory entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time office worker | 5 days, 37.5 hours a week | 28 days or 210 hours |
| Part-time worker | 4 days a week | 22.4 days |
| Part-time worker | 3 days a week | 16.8 days |
| Shift worker | 4 × 12-hour shifts a week (48 hours) | 268.8 hours |
| Zero-hours worker | 100 hours in a month | 12.07 hours accrued that month |
Holiday and Sickness
Holiday continues to build up during sick leave. If you fall ill during a booked holiday, you can usually take the time as sick leave instead and rebook the holiday, following your employer's sickness reporting rules. If long-term sickness means you cannot take your holiday in the leave year, you can carry over up to 4 weeks, which must be used within 18 months of the end of the leave year it relates to.
Holiday During Maternity and Family Leave
Statutory holiday also continues to build up during maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave. Holiday that cannot be taken because of family leave can be carried over into the next leave year.
Holiday Entitlement Checklist
- Know your leave year – it may run from January, April or your start date.
- Check whether bank holidays are included in or added to your entitlement.
- Track holiday taken and remaining on your payslip or HR system.
- Book holiday early and give the right notice.
- Use or carry over leave before the end of the leave year where allowed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much holiday am I entitled to in the UK?
5.6 weeks a year. For a 5-day week that is 28 days, which can include bank holidays. Part-time workers get 5.6 times their working week.
How do I calculate part-time holiday entitlement?
Multiply the days or hours you work each week by 5.6. For 3 days a week, the entitlement is 16.8 days; for 20 hours a week, it is 112 hours.
What is the 12.07% holiday calculation?
For irregular-hours and part-year workers in leave years from 1 April 2024, holiday accrues at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period.
Are bank holidays included in my 28 days?
They can be. Statutory entitlement of 28 days can include bank holidays unless your contract gives them on top.
How much holiday do I get if I start mid-year?
A pro rata share of the annual entitlement. Starting on 1 July in a January to December leave year gives a full-time worker 14 days.
Do I get paid for unused holiday when I leave?
Yes. You must be paid for accrued statutory holiday that you have not taken by your last day.
Can I carry holiday over to next year?
Up to 1.6 weeks can be carried over if your contract allows. The remaining 4 weeks generally must be used in the year, with exceptions for sickness and family leave.
Does holiday build up during sick leave?
Yes. Statutory holiday continues to accrue during sick leave and during maternity and other family leave.
When does my leave year start?
It depends on your contract. If it does not say, the leave year starts on the date you started work, or on 1 October for jobs that began before 1 October 1998.
Can my employer tell me when to take holiday?
Yes. An employer can require you to take holiday on certain dates, such as a shutdown, if they give notice of at least twice the length of the holiday.
Disclaimer: This summary is based on GOV.UK guidance for Great Britain as checked in September 2026. Your contract may give more generous terms. For specific situations, check GOV.UK or contact Acas.