Holiday entitlement calculator

Almost every worker in the UK is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days. How that translates into your entitlement depends on whether your hours are fixed or variable — and that classification, not the arithmetic, is where most disputes start.

This calculator covers both routes: the standard pro-rata calculation for someone working a set number of days a week, and the 12.07% accrual method that applies to irregular hours and part-year workers for leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024.

What kind of hours do you work?

This choice decides which legal method applies, and it is the part people get wrong. The irregular hours category covers workers whose paid hours are "wholly or mostly variable" under their contract. Rotating shifts and annualised hours do not automatically count. If you are not sure, check with your employer or Acas before relying on the figure.

Accepts 70, 70:30 or 70h 30m.

Optional. Leave blank if you worked the whole leave year.

Optional.

Match whatever your contract uses.

Only used when showing hours.

Holiday entitlement 28.0 days

Calculated using England & Wales statutory rules. Figures last checked against source on 5 September 2026.

How this was worked out
Statutory entitlement
5.6 weeks The statutory minimum for all workers.
Full leave year
28.0 days 5.6 weeks × 5.0 days a week

Things that could change this figure

  • Whether the 12.07% accrual method applies depends on whether you count as an irregular hours or part-year worker. There is no numerical threshold in the legislation, and rotating shifts or annualised hours do not automatically qualify. Misclassification is the main risk here, not the arithmetic. Read the guide
  • Bank holidays are not automatically on top of the 5.6 weeks. An employer may count them towards it. Read the guide
  • The rules changed for leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, reversing the effect of the Harpur Trust v Brazel decision. Earlier leave years may be calculated differently. Read the guide

Sources

Please read

This is the statutory minimum. Your contract may give you more leave, and many employers do.

The figure depends entirely on whether you have been classified correctly as a regular or an irregular hours worker. That classification is a legal question about your contract, not something a calculator can settle.

It is not legal advice. If you and your employer disagree about your entitlement, speak to Acas.

How to use the holiday entitlement calculator

  1. Choose your working pattern This decides which legal method applies and it is the part people get wrong. Irregular hours means your paid hours are wholly or mostly variable under your contract. Rotating shifts and annualised hours do not automatically count.
  2. Enter your days or your hours For fixed patterns, the days you work each week. For irregular hours, the hours you actually worked in the pay period.
  3. Set your leave year start Whatever your contract says — commonly 1 January, 6 April, or your start date. It matters because several rules apply from the first leave year beginning after a given date.
  4. Add start or leaving dates if relevant Entitlement is pro-rated for anyone joining or leaving part way through the leave year.
  5. Pick the unit your contract uses Days, hours or weeks. Matching your contract makes the figure easier to check against what your employer has given you.

Worked examples

Common questions

Do bank holidays count as part of my holiday?

They can. There is no automatic right to paid leave on a bank holiday in the UK, and an employer may count them towards the 5.6 weeks rather than giving them on top. “28 days including bank holidays” and “28 days plus bank holidays” are both lawful and about eight days apart.

Why is my entitlement capped at 28 days?

Statutory leave is capped at 28 days however many days a week you work. Working six or seven days a week gives you no more paid leave than someone working five. Many employers offer more than the statutory minimum.

Where does 12.07% come from?

It is 5.6 weeks expressed as a proportion of the working year. Fifty-two weeks minus 5.6 weeks of leave leaves 46.4 working weeks, and 5.6 divided by 46.4 is 12.07%.

Am I an irregular hours worker?

It depends on your contract, not on how your rota happens to look. The test is whether your paid hours are wholly or mostly variable. There is no numerical threshold in the legislation, so if it is unclear, ask your employer which basis they use and check with Acas.

What is rolled-up holiday pay?

An extra 12.07% added to each payslip instead of paying holiday when it is taken. It is permitted in Great Britain for irregular hours and part-year workers from April 2024, must be itemised separately, and is not permitted in Northern Ireland. It does not remove your right to take the time off.

Does holiday build up while I am off sick?

Yes. Statutory holiday continues to accrue during sick leave, and during maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.

What happens to holiday I have not taken when I leave?

Accrued but untaken statutory holiday must be paid to you. If you have taken more than you accrued, your employer can only recover it if your contract specifically says so.

Guides on this subject

Figures on this page are checked against primary sources and dated. They are not legal, tax or financial advice.

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