UK Holiday Pay Calculator

Almost all UK workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year under the Working Time Regulations 1998. For a typical 5-day-a-week worker that is 28 days, which is also the statutory cap — even workers on 6 or 7 days a week receive a maximum of 28 days. Part-time workers get 5.6 × their working days per week (e.g. 3 days a week × 5.6 = 16.8 days). Bank holidays may count inside the 5.6 weeks or be granted on top, depending on your contract.

12.07% is the statutory accrual rate for irregular-hours and part-year workers. It comes from 5.6 weeks of paid leave divided by the 46.4 weeks of the year actually worked (52 − 5.6 = 46.4). For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024 — under the Employment Rights (Amendment) Regulations 2023 — irregular-hours workers accrue 12.07% of their actual hours worked each pay period. Their employer can either pay the holiday when leave is taken (averaged over the previous 52 paid weeks) or use rolled-up holiday pay.

Yes — for irregular-hours and part-year workers in leave years that started on or after 1 April 2024. Rolled-up holiday pay was previously found unlawful in 2006 (Robinson-Steele), but the 2023 reforms reinstated it for these specific worker groups. The 12.07% uplift must appear as a clearly itemised, separate line on the payslip — it cannot be hidden inside the hourly rate. Rolled-up pay is not allowed for regular-hours workers.

Since 6 April 2020, a week's pay for holiday purposes is averaged over the previous 52 paid weeks (the reference period was extended from 12 weeks). Weeks with no pay are excluded and the employer can look back up to 104 weeks to find 52 paid weeks. Following Bear Scotland, Lock v British Gas and Agnew, the average must include 'normal remuneration' — regular overtime, commission, contractual bonuses and shift premia — for at least the first 4 weeks of leave per year. The additional 1.6 weeks may legally be paid at basic rate, though most employers pay all 5.6 weeks at the higher figure to keep payroll simple. Use the optional commission/overtime input in the calculator.

There is no automatic right to bank holidays in the UK. Your employer can choose whether the eight statutory bank holidays count inside your 5.6 weeks of paid leave or whether they are granted on top. If they are part of the 5.6 weeks, a 5-day full-time worker still receives 28 days total. If they are on top, that worker receives 28 + 8 = 36 days. Part-time workers should receive a pro-rata share of bank holidays even if they would not normally have worked on those days.

In 2022 the Supreme Court ruled in Harpur Trust v Brazel that part-year workers (such as term-time-only school staff) were entitled to the full 5.6 weeks of paid leave regardless of how few weeks they actually worked. The government legislated to reverse this for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024: from that date, irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of actual hours worked. The Brazel approach still applies to leave years that started before 1 April 2024.

Yes. Holiday pay is treated as ordinary earnings, so income tax and Class 1 National Insurance are deducted in the normal way through PAYE. Use our Take-Home Pay Calculator to see the net amount of holiday pay you will actually receive after tax.

Generally no while you are still employed. Statutory holiday entitlement (5.6 weeks) cannot be exchanged for cash — you must actually take it. The only exception is when you leave a job: any unused statutory leave for the current holiday year must be paid out as part of your final wages. Contractual holiday on top of the statutory minimum can sometimes be paid in lieu if your contract allows it.

Yes. Your employer can require you to take holiday on specified days (such as Christmas closure) provided they give notice equal to at least twice the length of the leave being imposed.

The 12.07% accrual method only applies to 'irregular-hours workers' and 'part-year workers' as legally defined. If you have fixed contracted hours that vary only occasionally, you are still a regular worker and your holiday is calculated using the 52-week reference period method.

Yes. Statutory holiday continues to accrue throughout maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and bereavement leave, and during periods of sickness. Special carry-over rules let you take any leave you were unable to use during these absences.