How to calculate UK holiday entitlement
Almost every UK worker is legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. Working out exactly how many days or hours that means depends on whether the worker has fixed hours, part-time hours, or works irregular hours like most hospitality staff.
- 1
Identify the worker type
Decide whether the worker is full-time with fixed hours, part-time with fixed hours, or irregular-hours / part-year. The calculation method differs.
- 2
Apply the 5.6 weeks formula for fixed-hours staff
A full-time worker on a 5-day week gets 5.6 × 5 = 28 days per year (your contract can include the 8 UK bank holidays inside that 28).
- 3
Pro-rata for part-time staff
Multiply 5.6 by the number of days the worker actually works each week. Someone working 3 days a week gets 5.6 × 3 = 16.8 days.
- 4
Use 12.07% for irregular hours and zero-hours staff
Since April 2024, irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of the hours actually worked in each pay period. This replaces the older Bear Scotland calculation for new leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024.
- 5
Record and accrue throughout the year
Track accrual and usage as the year progresses, not just at year end. Statutory holiday cannot be paid in lieu except when employment ends.
Common pitfalls
Forgetting that bank holidays are not separately required by law — the 5.6 weeks is the only statutory minimum.
Treating overtime as ignorable. Regular voluntary overtime should be included when calculating holiday pay.
Not updating zero-hours calculations to the new 12.07% accrual method for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024.
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