Holiday Entitlement Calculator UK: 5.6 Weeks
Work out your UK statutory holiday entitlement in days or hours: part-time, starting or leaving mid-year, irregular hours at 12.07%, with worked examples.
A better-informed decision.
Complete the form to see your breakdown.
Rules checked against the GOV.UK guidance text on 24 September 2026; rounding follows the official GOV.UK calculator.
Almost all workers in the UK are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days. A 5-day week gives 28 days; a 3-day week gives 16.8 days. The calculator above works out your statutory minimum in days or hours, including starting or leaving mid-year and irregular hours.
How the calculator works
- Days: days worked per week × 5.6, capped at 28 days.
- Hours: your weekly hours ÷ days gives your average working day, multiplied by the days due. No more than 5 days a week count, in line with the 28-day cap.
- Irregular hours: 12.07% of the hours you actually work in each pay period.
Examples from the calculator
| Pattern | Result |
|---|---|
| 5 days a week | 28 days |
| 3 days a week (3 × 5.6) | 16.8 days |
| 6 days a week | 28 days (the cap) |
| 4 days, 30 hours a week | 22.4 days = 168 hours (7.5-hour average day) |
This is the legal minimum. Your contract may give you more. Bank holidays do not have to be given as paid leave, and your employer can count them within the 5.6 weeks, so 28 days can be 20 days plus the 8 bank holidays in England and Wales.
Starting part-way through a leave year
The calculator counts the months left, including your start month, divides by 12 and rounds up to the nearest half day, as GOV.UK says.
- Leave year from 1 January 2026, start on 1 October 2026, 5 days a week: 3 months of 12, so 7 days.
- Leave year from 1 April 2026, start on 24 September 2026, 3 days a week: 7 months of 12 gives 9.8, rounded up to 10 days.
Under a first-year accrual system you build up one-twelfth a month. GOV.UK’s example: with 28 days a year you get 2.5 days for the first month (28 ÷ 12 = 2.33, rounded up) and 7 days after 3 months.
Leaving part-way through a leave year
The calculator divides calendar days employed by the days in the leave year (366 if it includes 29 February), rounded up to 2 decimal places. Employers may round up but not down.
- GOV.UK example: 6 days a week, leave year from 1 July 2024, leaving on 16 November 2024. That is 139 of 365 days (38.08%) of 28 days. The calculator shows 10.67 days; the GOV.UK example rounds to 10.7 days.
- Leave year from 1 January 2026, leaving on 30 June 2026, 5 days a week: 181 of 365 days, so 13.89 days.
Take off what you have already used. The rest must be paid when you leave. This is the only time pay can replace statutory leave, even if you are dismissed for gross misconduct.
Irregular hours and part-year workers: 12.07%
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period, rounded to the nearest hour (0.5 or more rounds up).
- 30 hours in a week: 30 × 12.07 ÷ 100 = 3.621, so 4 hours.
- 68 hours in a month: 8.2076, so 8 hours.
The calculator will not apply this method to a leave year that began before 1 April 2024. From the same date, employers can also use rolled-up holiday pay for these workers: 12.07% of pay added to each pay period.
Carrying over and booking leave
- With 28 days, you can carry over up to 8 days, if your contract allows.
- Give notice at least twice the length of the leave plus 1 day: 3 days’ notice for 1 day off.
- Your employer can tell you to take leave on set days, such as bank holidays, with notice at least twice as long as the leave.
What the calculator does not cover
- Holiday pay: how much you are paid for each day.
- Extra contractual leave above the legal minimum.
- Leave carried over because of sickness or family leave.
- Legal advice: check with Acas if in doubt.
Frequently asked questions
How much holiday do I get on a 6-day week?
28 days. Statutory leave is capped at 28 days however many days you work.
Can my employer pay me instead of giving holiday?
No, except for untaken statutory leave when you leave the job.
I am on a zero-hours contract. What do I get?
If your leave year started on or after 1 April 2024, 12.07% of the hours you work each pay period. Choose “irregular hours” in the calculator.
Does holiday build up during maternity leave?
Yes. GOV.UK says holiday still accrues during maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement ↗
- GOV.UK: Calculate leave entitlement ↗
- GOV.UK: Holiday pay and entitlement reforms ↗
Next step
Check dates on the bank holidays page, work out your take-home pay with the salary calculator, and read working in the UK.
Reviewed 24 September 2026.