UK holiday entitlement explained
By Dexaloop · Updated 27 October 2026 · Checked against the sources listed below
Almost every worker in the UK is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working five days a week that is 28 days, and 28 days is also the legal maximum the statutory right can reach. Part-time staff get 5.6 times their own working week, and workers with irregular hours build up holiday at 12.07% of the hours they work, for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024. This guide explains how each rule works, with worked figures. It is general information on the rules in Great Britain as published on GOV.UK, checked on 27 October 2026.
The basic rule: 5.6 weeks
GOV.UK says most workers are entitled to "5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year." The rule is set in weeks, not days, so that it scales fairly with how much you work. To turn it into days, multiply your working days a week by 5.6, and stop at 28.
| Days worked a week | Sum | Statutory days a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 × 5.6 | 5.6 |
| 2 | 2 × 5.6 | 11.2 |
| 3 | 3 × 5.6 | 16.8 |
| 4 | 4 × 5.6 | 22.4 |
| 5 | 5 × 5.6 | 28 |
| 6 | capped | 28 |
Bank holidays
There is no separate legal right to have bank holidays off with pay. GOV.UK explains that employers can count bank holidays as part of the 5.6 weeks. Some contracts say "28 days including bank holidays" and some say "20 days plus bank holidays." For a five-day worker, both meet the statutory minimum. A contract offering 25 days plus bank holidays gives more than the law requires, and different rules can apply to that extra leave.
Part-time workers with fixed hours
A part-time worker with a regular pattern gets the same 5.6 weeks, counted in their own days or hours. If days vary in length, working in hours is fairer.
Example: Priya works 4.5 hours a day, five days a week, which is 22.5 hours a week. Her entitlement is 22.5 × 5.6 = 126 hours a year. Counting days instead would give 28 days of 4.5 hours, which is the same 126 hours. The two methods only part ways when the days are different lengths, such as two 8-hour days and one 4-hour day. Then hours give the right answer: 20 hours × 5.6 = 112 hours.
Starting part way through the leave year
A new starter gets a share of the year's leave based on how much of the year is left. GOV.UK says what they get "depends on how much of the year is left," and that someone who starts part way through a month can accrue one-twelfth of their leave from their first day.
GOV.UK's own example: a five-day worker entitled to 28 days starts on 13 January in a leave year that began on 1 January. 28 ÷ 12 = 2.33 days, which the employer rounds up to the nearest half day, so they get 2.5 days for January. An employer may instead work out that first month pro rata, by the days actually worked.
Irregular-hours and part-year workers: 12.07%
Workers whose hours vary a lot, such as zero-hours or casual staff, and people who work only part of the year, now have their own method. For leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, the GOV.UK employer guidance says "Holiday entitlement for these workers will be calculated as 12.07% of actual hours worked in a pay period."
The figure is not arbitrary. If a worker has 5.6 weeks of leave, they work the other 46.4 weeks of the year. 5.6 is 12.07% of 46.4. So every hour worked earns 0.1207 of an hour of holiday.
Worked example
Tom is on a zero-hours contract and is paid monthly. In March he works 92 hours.
- 92 × 12.07% = 11.1044 hours.
- The guidance allows accrued holiday to be rounded to the nearest hour. Less than 30 minutes rounds down, 30 minutes or more rounds up. 0.1044 of an hour is about 6 minutes, so Tom accrues 11 hours of holiday for March.
In April he works only 40 hours. 40 × 12.07% = 4.828 hours, which rounds to 5 hours. His holiday grows month by month with the work he actually does.
Rolled-up holiday pay
For the same group of workers, and only for leave years from 1 April 2024, employers may pay holiday pay with each wage packet instead of when leave is taken. The guidance sets this at 12.07% of the worker's total pay for the period. If Tom earned £1,160 in March, his rolled-up holiday pay would be £1,160 × 12.07% = £140.01, shown on the payslip as a separate line. He then takes his holiday unpaid, because it has already been paid.
The guidance also explains that a worker with more than the statutory 5.6 weeks needs a different percentage: total weeks of leave divided by the remaining working weeks. For 6 weeks of leave, that is 6 ÷ 46 × 100 = 13.04%.
Leaving a job
When a job ends, you can usually take your remaining statutory leave during your notice period. Any statutory leave you have built up and not taken must be paid. GOV.UK states that "Employers must pay for untaken statutory leave, even if the worker is dismissed for gross misconduct." If you have taken more leave than you built up, your employer cannot take the difference out of your final pay unless that was agreed in writing beforehand.
Common mistakes
- Multiplying a 6-day week by 5.6. The statutory right stops at 28 days.
- Giving everyone the same number of days. A flat 20 days is more than a 3-day worker's 16.8 but less than a 5-day worker's 28.
- Using 12.07% for regular part-timers. The percentage method is for irregular-hours and part-year workers. A part-timer with fixed hours uses 5.6 weeks.
- Counting days when shifts differ in length. Use hours to avoid unfair results.
- Forgetting untaken leave on leaving. It must be paid out.
This guide follows the GOV.UK pages for Great Britain; if you work in Northern Ireland, check nidirect. To turn your own pattern into a figure in days or hours, use the calculator below.
Work out your holiday entitlement: tools.dexaloop.com/holiday-entitlement-calculator/. Free, no sign-up, and it runs on your device.
Questions
Are bank holidays included in my 28 days?
They can be. GOV.UK says employers do not have to give bank holidays as paid leave, but they can count them as part of statutory annual leave. Check your contract to see which way your employer does it.
How much holiday do I get if I work 3 days a week?
At least 16.8 days a year: 3 days × 5.6 weeks. Part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks as full-time staff, measured in their own working days.
I work 6 days a week. Do I get 33.6 days?
Not by law. Statutory paid leave is capped at 28 days, so a 6-day worker is entitled to 28. An employer can choose to give more.
Do I get paid for holiday I have not taken when I leave?
Yes, for untaken statutory leave. GOV.UK says employers must pay for it even if the worker is dismissed for gross misconduct. Payment in place of leave is only allowed when the job ends.
What does 12.07% mean for zero-hours workers?
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, irregular-hours and part-year workers build up holiday at 12.07% of the hours they actually work in each pay period. 100 hours worked earns about 12 hours of holiday.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement, calculate leave entitlement
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement, taking holiday before leaving a job
- GOV.UK: Holiday pay and entitlement reforms from 1 January 2024 (employer guidance)
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check the official source for your own case. Found a mistake? Email support@dexaloop.com.