How much holiday is a full-time employee entitled to in the UK?

A full-time employee working 5 days a week is usually entitled to 28 days of paid holiday a year. That figure can include bank holidays if the contract says so.

Do part-time employees get bank holidays off?

Not automatically. Part-time workers are entitled to the same 5.6 weeks on a pro-rated basis, and employers should avoid treating them less favourably by contract design.

How do you calculate holiday for someone who starts mid-year?

You pro-rate leave for the part of the leave year remaining or use monthly accrual in the first year. The important point is to apply a consistent, documented method.

Can employers round holiday entitlement?

Yes, employers can round holiday figures, but the approach should be fair and should not reduce statutory entitlement. Many employers round to the nearest half day or nearest hour.

Holiday Entitlement Calculator UK: Employer Guide 2026

Holiday entitlement calculator UK searches surge whenever an employee joins, leaves or changes hours. The rule sounds simple — 5.6 weeks' statutory paid holiday — but mistakes around starters, leavers, irregular hours and bank holidays still create payroll disputes and tribunal risk. GOV.UK’s calculator confirms that employers can use a full-year, part-year or accrual method depending on the worker’s situation.

This guide explains how to use a holiday entitlement calculator properly, what figures to enter, where employers usually go wrong and how to build the result into contracts, rotas and payroll. It also covers the 2024 holiday reforms that still shape 2026 calculations for irregular-hours and part-year workers.

How does a holiday entitlement calculator UK page work?

A holiday entitlement calculator turns statutory leave rules into a figure your team can actually use. For a regular full-time employee working 5 days a week, the answer is usually 28 days including bank holidays if the contract says they are included. For part-time staff, the same 5.6 weeks principle applies but the result is pro-rated by working pattern.

Start with weeks, not days

Statutory entitlement is set in weeks under the Working Time Regulations 1998. Converting to days or hours is the final step, not the starting point.

What information do employers need before calculating leave?

the worker’s start date and, if relevant, leaving date
whether the worker has regular hours, irregular hours or is part-year
the business leave year dates
whether bank holidays are included in contractual entitlement
whether entitlement is measured in days, hours or shifts

How much holiday are employees entitled to in the UK?

Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each leave year. For someone working 5 days a week, that is 28 days. Statutory leave is capped at 28 days, so a 6-day worker does not get 33.6 days as a statutory minimum.

Do bank holidays have to be given on top?

No. Bank holidays do not have to be provided as extra paid leave. An employer can include them within the worker’s 5.6 weeks, provided the contract and handbook make this clear. This matters for Bank Holidays 2026 UK: Dates and HR Implications for Employers and for anyone using a Holiday Entitlement Calculator.

Contract wording matters

If your contract says an employee gets 28 days plus bank holidays, you have created an enhanced contractual entitlement. Payroll cannot later treat bank holidays as included without changing terms lawfully.

How do you calculate leave for starters, leavers and part-year workers?

For regular-hours workers in their first year, employers can use an accrual system of one-twelfth of annual entitlement each month. GOV.UK also allows pro-rata calculations based on the portion of the leave year worked. The key is to apply one method consistently and round fairly.

Holiday accrual for new starters

If a worker joins part way through the year, calculate their entitlement for the remaining part of the leave year. For example, if a 5-day worker joins halfway through a holiday year, the pro-rated entitlement is normally 14 days where 28 days is the full-year figure.

Holiday accrual for irregular-hours and part-year workers

For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, irregular-hours and part-year workers can accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours worked for the relevant leave year arrangement. Employers also need to understand the special holiday pay rules that may apply to these groups. This is why many teams pair a calculator page with Managing Annual Leave Requests UK and UK Statutory Holiday Entitlement 2026.

How should employers record and apply the result?

A calculator result is only useful if it feeds into operational HR. Record the entitlement in the contract, confirm the leave year in writing, and track leave used, booked and remaining. For hourly workers, record entitlement in hours to avoid under- or over-deducting.

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Use hours for variable schedules

When staff work different shift lengths, measuring annual leave in hours usually produces cleaner payroll and fewer disputes than measuring in days.

Holiday entitlement calculator UK checklist for employers

Confirm the leave year dates in contracts and the handbook.
Check whether statutory leave only or enhanced contractual leave applies.
Decide whether entitlement is tracked in days, hours or shifts.
Use a consistent method for starters and leavers.
Confirm whether bank holidays are included.
Apply the 12.07% accrual approach only where the worker falls into the irregular-hours or part-year rules.
Keep records of leave taken and leave remaining.
Link your process to Annual Leave Accrual Calculator and HR Compliance Audit.

Frequently asked questions

Free Template: Holiday Entitlement Calculation Checklist

A practical checklist covering starters, leavers, bank holidays and irregular-hours accrual.

holiday-entitlement-calculator-checklist.pdf

Key takeaways

A holiday entitlement calculator UK page only works if the underlying legal inputs are right. Start with 5.6 weeks, confirm whether bank holidays are included, use the correct accrual method and record the output properly. Employers should connect this page to holiday entitlement rules, annual leave management and the Holiday Entitlement Calculator so managers and payroll teams use the same method.