Annual Leave Calculator UK
Calculate your UK statutory annual leave entitlement based on how many days or hours you work each week. See your holiday allowance with or without bank holidays, monthly accrual rate, and pro-rata entitlement for part-year employment.
Based on the Working Time Regulations 1998 - 5.6 weeks' statutory entitlement
Holiday Entitlement Calculator
Choose days for regular patterns, or hours for irregular or shift workers.
Number of days you work each week (e.g. 5 for full-time, 3 for part-time)
Check your contract to see whether bank holidays are part of your entitlement or given on top.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter Your Working Pattern
Choose whether to calculate in days or hours, then enter how many days or hours you work each week. Use days for regular patterns and hours for shift or irregular workers.
Set Bank Holidays & Period
Select whether bank holidays are included in your annual leave or given on top. If you started or are leaving mid-year, choose part-year and enter the months worked.
View Your Entitlement
See your total annual leave broken down into discretionary leave and bank holidays, plus monthly and weekly accrual rates and pro-rata figures if applicable.
UK Statutory Annual Leave at a Glance
Entitlement by Days Worked Per Week
| Days/Week | Entitlement | Monthly Accrual |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.6 days | 0.47 days |
| 2 | 11.2 days | 0.93 days |
| 3 | 16.8 days | 1.4 days |
| 4 | 22.4 days | 1.87 days |
| 5 | 28 days | 2.33 days |
| 6 | 28 days | 2.33 days |
Statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days regardless of days worked.
Key Facts
- 5.6weeks is the statutory minimum annual leave for all UK workers
- 28days maximum statutory entitlement (full-time cap)
- 8bank holidays in England and Wales each year (may or may not be included)
- Carry-overdepends on your agreement and why the leave could not be taken
- 12.07%accrual rate for zero-hours and irregular hours workers
- Day 1entitlement starts from the first day of employment, including probation
How UK Annual Leave Is Calculated
Annual Leave = Days (or Hours) Per Week x 5.6UK statutory annual leave is governed by the Working Time Regulations 1998. Every worker is entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks' paid annual leave per year. This applies equally to full-time and part-time workers.
Calculation Examples
Full-time (5 days/week): 5 x 5.6 = 28 daysPart-time (3 days/week): 3 x 5.6 = 16.8 daysHours-based (20 hrs/week): 20 x 5.6 = 112 hoursThe calculation process follows these steps:
- Multiply your working pattern by 5.6 - this gives your base statutory entitlement in days or hours
- Apply the 28-day cap - for day-based calculations, the statutory entitlement cannot exceed 28 days, even if you work 6 or 7 days per week
- Factor in bank holidays - if your contract includes bank holidays within your annual leave, they form part of your 5.6 weeks; if additional, they are added on top
- Pro-rata if needed - for part-year employment, divide by 12 months and multiply by the months you will work
Pro-Rata Formula (Part-Year)
Pro-Rata Leave = (Full-Year Entitlement / 12) x Months WorkedExample: 28 days entitlement, starting in April (9 months remaining): (28 / 12) x 9 = 21 days
Plan Leave Alongside Your Pay
Holiday entitlement is only one part of a change in working pattern. Use these related UK calculators to compare the pay and employer-cost effects, then return to the UK payroll and tax guide for the full calculation path.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much annual leave am I entitled to in the UK?
All workers in the UK are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks’ paid annual leave per year. For someone working 5 days a week, this equals 28 days. This is the statutory minimum set by the Working Time Regulations 1998. Your employer may offer more than this, but never less. The entitlement is capped at 28 days maximum, so workers doing 6 or 7 days per week still receive 28 days.
Are bank holidays included in my annual leave entitlement?
It depends on your employment contract. There is no automatic legal right to have bank holidays off or paid. Your employer can choose to include the 8 UK bank holidays within your 5.6 weeks’ statutory entitlement, or they can offer them on top of the 28 days. Check your contract or staff handbook to see which applies to you.
How is annual leave calculated for part-time workers?
Part-time workers are entitled to the same 5.6 weeks’ annual leave, calculated pro rata based on the number of days or hours they work per week. For example, someone working 3 days a week is entitled to 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days of annual leave. For workers with irregular hours, annual leave can be calculated in hours to ensure fairness.
How do I calculate annual leave for someone who starts mid-year?
If you join partway through the leave year, your annual leave is calculated on a pro-rata basis. Divide the full-year entitlement by 12 and multiply by the number of complete months remaining in the leave year. For example, starting in April with a January-to-December leave year means 9 months remaining, so a full-time worker would get (28 / 12) × 9 = 21 days.
Can I carry over unused annual leave to the next year?
Ordinary carry-over depends on your contract or another relevant agreement. For a worker entitled to 28 days, an agreement may allow up to 8 days to move into the next leave year. Different protections apply when leave could not be taken: family-related leave must be allowed to carry into the next leave year, while long-term sickness can allow a regular-hours worker to carry up to 20 days and use it within 18 months of the end of the leave year. Irregular-hours and part-year workers can carry up to 28 days after long-term sickness. Check your contract and the current GOV.UK or Acas guidance for your circumstances.
How is annual leave calculated for zero-hours contract workers?
For irregular-hours and part-year workers in leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, statutory holiday normally accrues at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period. Employers may instead use rolled-up holiday pay for those workers, adding the holiday-pay amount to normal pay while the worker still takes unpaid leave. These rules do not make rolled-up holiday pay available for regular-hours workers.
Authoritative sources
- gov.uk — Holiday entitlement
The 5.6 weeks this calculator multiplies by and the 28-day limit it caps at, plus the worked pro-rata example (3 days a week gives at least 16.8 days) and the rule that bank holidays do not have to be given as paid leave.
- legislation.gov.uk — Working Time Regulations 1998, regulation 13A
The statutory source of the cap the page cites: regulation 13A(3) states that the aggregate entitlement under regulations 13 and 13A is subject to a maximum of 28 days.
- gov.uk — Calculate holiday entitlement
The government's own entitlement calculator, covering the same three cases as this page: a full leave year, part of a leave year for a mid-year starter or leaver, and irregular hours accrued over a pay period.
- gov.uk — Carrying over leave
Current carry-over rules: ordinary carry-over depends on an agreement; family-related leave, long-term sickness and an employer failing to provide a reasonable opportunity to take leave have separate protections and limits.
- gov.uk — Holiday pay and entitlement reforms from 1 January 2024
The 12.07% accrual figure and rolled-up holiday pay quoted in the zero-hours FAQ, which apply to irregular-hours and part-year workers for leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024.
- gov.uk — UK bank holidays
The 8 bank holidays this calculator assumes: gov.uk lists 8 for England and Wales in 2026, and states that your employer does not have to give you paid leave on them.
- Acas — Holiday entitlement: how much holiday someone gets
The statutory advisory body restating the same 5.6 weeks and 28-day limit, and confirming that bank holidays may sit inside that entitlement depending on the contract.
- Acas — Carrying over holiday
The 4-week sickness carry-over limit for regular-hours workers and the requirement to use that leave within 18 months of the end of the leave year in which it accrued.
Important Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates based on the UK statutory minimum annual leave entitlement under the Working Time Regulations 1998. Your employer may offer more generous leave provisions. This tool does not account for contractual enhancements, company-specific leave policies, shift patterns with compressed hours, or other arrangements. For definitive guidance on your entitlement, consult your employment contract, your employer's HR department, or ACAS.
Published by Kalcify · Last updated
Calculators are built against primary sources — government tax authorities (IRS, HMRC, CRA, ATO) for finance and the World Health Organization for health metrics. Updated when rates or rules change. View methodology and data sources.
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