Statutory holiday is 5.6 weeks a year — but part-timers, mid-year starters and leavers, and irregular-hours workers all get a pro-rated share. This calculator works out the entitlement three ways: fixed part-time days, the 12.07% method for irregular hours, and pro-rating for the part of the leave year you actually work.
5 min read·Updated Thu Aug 20 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)·🇬🇧 UK
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Key takeaways
Key takeaways · 2026/27
The statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks — that's 28 days for someone working 5+ days a week, where the cap applies.
Part-timers get 5.6 × their working days per week — e.g. 2.5 days/week → 14 days.
Mid-year starters and leavers get holiday pro-rated by the proportion of the leave year they work.
For irregular or zero-hours work, holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked (5.6 weeks ÷ 46.4 working weeks).
How it works
Pro-rata holiday, three ways
Every UK worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, but how that translates into days depends on how you work. This calculator handles the three common cases: a fixed part-time pattern, a mid-year starter or leaver, and irregular hours.
Fixed part-time days
If you work the same days every week, multiply 5.6 by your days per week. Two-and-a-half days a week gives 5.6 × 2.5 = 14 days. Five days a week gives 28 days — the statutory cap. Work six days and you're still capped at 28 days statutory.
Mid-year starters and leavers
In a partial leave year you get holiday pro-rated to the slice of the year you work. Start halfway through and you accrue roughly half that year's entitlement, then the full amount from the next leave year. Enter your start date and the leave-year end date and the calculator works out the proportion.
Irregular and zero-hours work
Where there's no fixed pattern, holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked — 5.6 weeks of leave spread across the 46.4 weeks actually worked in a year. Switch to the irregular-hours method and enter the hours worked to see the holiday earned.
Statutory is a floor, not a ceiling. Many employers offer more than 5.6 weeks. This tool works out the legal minimum; your contract may give you more.
Based on the Working Time Regulations (5.6 weeks, 28-day cap) and the 12.07% accrual method for irregular-hours and part-year workers. Guidance only — check your contract and, for disputes, Acas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is pro-rata holiday calculated?
For a fixed part-time pattern, multiply 5.6 weeks by the number of days you work each week. Someone working 2.5 days a week gets 5.6 × 2.5 = 14 days of holiday a year. For a mid-year starter or leaver, take the full-year entitlement and multiply by the proportion of the leave year you work. For irregular or zero-hours work, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you actually work.
What is the statutory minimum holiday?
Almost all UK workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working five or more days a week that comes to 28 days, which is the statutory cap — an employer doesn't have to give more than 28 days statutory even if 5.6 × your days would be higher. Bank holidays can be counted towards this minimum, depending on your contract. Many employers offer more than the statutory minimum as a contractual benefit.
Why is the cap 28 days?
5.6 weeks × 5 working days = 28 days, and the law caps the statutory entitlement there. So a full-time employee working five days a week gets 28 days. Someone working six days a week would get 5.6 × 6 = 33.6 by the formula, but the statutory entitlement is still capped at 28 days. Part-timers working fewer than five days a week are below the cap, so they simply get 5.6 × their days.
How does the 12.07% method work?
For workers with no fixed hours — casual, agency or zero-hours staff — holiday is worked out as a percentage of the hours actually worked. The figure is 12.07%, which is 5.6 weeks of holiday divided by the 46.4 weeks a year that are actually worked (52 − 5.6). So every 100 hours worked earns about 12 hours of paid holiday. This is the standard method for irregular-hours and part-year workers under the 2024 holiday-pay reforms.
Do mid-year starters get less holiday?
Yes — in their first (partial) leave year they get holiday pro-rated to the part of the year they work. If you start halfway through the leave year, you accrue roughly half the annual entitlement for that year; from the next full leave year you get the whole entitlement. The same applies in reverse to leavers, who are entitled to holiday accrued up to their leaving date (often paid out if untaken). Enter your start date and the leave-year end date to pro-rate it.
Does this include bank holidays?
The 5.6-week statutory entitlement can include the eight bank holidays or be on top of them — it depends on your contract. This calculator works out the statutory entitlement in days; whether your employer counts bank holidays within or in addition to it is a contractual matter. Check your contract or staff handbook to see how bank holidays are treated.
Disclaimer: Figures are estimates based on 2026/27 rates and rules and may change. Verify with HMRC or a qualified adviser before making financial decisions.