UK Holiday Entitlement Calculator

Work out the minimum paid holiday you're entitled to in the UK, in days or hours, including part-time and irregular hours.

UK employment rules Free, no sign-up Runs in your browser
days
Enter days from 0.5 to 7.
hours
Enter hours from 0.5 to 168.
hours
Enter hours of 0 or more.
months
Enter months from 0 to 12.
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Your holiday each year

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  • Worked out as—

Your employer can include bank holidays in this.

The rules

  • Almost all workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year.
  • Statutory paid holiday is capped at 28 days. Someone working 6 days a week still gets 28 days.
  • Your employer can include bank holidays in the 5.6 weeks. Many full-time jobs give 20 days plus the 8 bank holidays in England and Wales.
  • Part-time workers get 5.6 times their working week. Someone working 3 days a week gets at least 16.8 days.
  • 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 work in each pay period.

Your contract can give you more than this, but not less.

How it's calculated

Fixed days: holiday = days a week × 5.6 (no more than 28 days) Fixed hours: holiday = hours a week × 5.6 (no more than 28 of your average days) Irregular hours: holiday = hours worked × 12.07% Part of the year: holiday = full-year holiday × months worked ÷ 12 12.07% comes from 5.6 weeks of holiday ÷ 46.4 working weeks (52 − 5.6).

Worked examples

5 days a week → 5 × 5.6 = 28 days 3 days a week → 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days 6 days a week → 6 × 5.6 = 33.6, capped at 28 days 30 hours over 4 days → 30 × 5.6 = 168 hours (22.4 days of 7.5 hours) 30 hours worked, irregular → 30 × 12.07% = 3.621 hours 5 days a week, leaving after 6 months → 28 × 6 ÷ 12 = 14 days

GOV.UK's own example rounds the 3.621 hours for an irregular hours worker up to 4 hours.

What this calculator doesn't cover

  • Holiday pay (how much you're paid for each day off), including rolled-up holiday pay.
  • Carrying holiday over into the next leave year, and holiday during sick leave or family leave.
  • Extra holiday your contract gives you. Check your contract or staff handbook.
  • Northern Ireland, which has its own employment law. The 5.6 weeks and 28-day cap are the same, but check nidirect for the details.

Frequently asked questions

Do bank holidays count as part of my holiday?

They can. The law lets your employer count bank holidays as part of your 5.6 weeks, and there's no legal right to paid time off on a bank holiday. Your contract says whether bank holidays are extra or included.

I'm self-employed. Does this apply to me?

No. Holiday entitlement is for employees and workers. If you're a freelancer, the holidays you take are unpaid, so our hourly rate calculator helps you build time off into your prices.

Who counts as an irregular hours worker?

Someone whose paid hours change from week to week, such as a zero-hours contract. A part-year worker is someone who only works part of the year and isn't paid for the weeks in between, such as some school-term roles.

Sources: GOV.UK: holiday entitlement; GOV.UK: calculate leave entitlement. Checked 30 September 2026.

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Disclaimer: results are estimates for planning only and are not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules and rates vary by country, state and personal situation. Check with a qualified accountant before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.

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