Holiday entitlement calculator
Work out statutory holiday for full-time, part-time and casual staff using the UK 5.6 weeks rule, capped at 28 days. Pro-rate for people who start partway through the leave year, and estimate accrual for zero-hours workers.
Example
Part-time, 3 days a week
Days per week
3
Statutory weeks
5.6
Calculated result
Holiday a year
16.8
As hours (24h/wk)
134
Estimate only. Bank-holiday policy is set by the contract.
Holiday entitlement calculator
UK statutory 5.6 weeks · capped at 28 days
Estimated statutory holiday
28 days
Based on 5.6 weeks' statutory entitlement.
Estimate for planning only, based on GOV.UK statutory rules. It does not calculate contractual holiday above the minimum, bank-holiday policy, or final pay. Check GOV.UK or an adviser for legal decisions.
Manual leave admin
When holiday maths stops being simple
Holiday maths gets awkward the moment staff work different days, join mid-year, or do irregular hours. A calculator settles one case, but tracking balances across a whole team needs a proper leave workflow.
Everyone works different days
Part-time patterns mean each person has a different entitlement to work out and remember.
People join partway through the year
New starters need a pro-rated figure, and it is easy to over- or under-promise days.
Zero-hours staff accrue as they go
Casual holiday builds at 12.07% of hours worked, which is hard to track by hand.
Balances live in a spreadsheet
A single leave tab gets out of date the moment a request is approved in a message.
Requests arrive everywhere
Holiday gets asked for in person, by text and by email, then forgotten before the rota is built.
Bank holidays cause disputes
Whether the 8 bank holidays sit inside or on top of the 28 days needs to be crystal clear.
How it works
How to calculate UK holiday entitlement
The statutory rules are simple once you know them: start from 5.6 weeks, apply the 28-day cap, then pro-rate for part-time patterns and part-years.
Start from the statutory 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year.
For fixed patterns, multiply days worked per week by 5.6.
Cap the result at 28 days — the statutory maximum.
Pro-rate by the share of the leave year remaining for mid-year starters.
For irregular hours, accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours worked.
Confirm whether bank holidays sit inside or on top of the entitlement.
Temporary fix
Why a calculator only gets you so far
A calculator is perfect for a one-off check — a new starter, a changed pattern, or a quick answer to 'how many days do I get?'.
Across a whole team, the hard part is not the sum: it is keeping every running balance current as leave is requested and approved.
Weekola tracks requests, approvals and balances together, and shows approved leave while you plan the rota.
Connected workflow
How Weekola keeps leave under control
Weekola helps small teams manage time off end to end — from the request, through approval, to a balance you can trust when you build the next rota.
Requests
Staff request time off in one place instead of by text or in passing.
Approvals
Managers approve or decline with the current balance in view.
Balances
Remaining entitlement updates automatically as leave is approved.
Rota view
Approved leave shows on the rota so cover gaps appear early.
Part-time
Different weekly patterns keep their own correct entitlement.
Records
A clear history sits behind every balance if a question comes up.
Related links
Keep going from the calculator
Common questions
Holiday entitlement calculator FAQ
- How much holiday are staff entitled to in the UK?
- Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year. For someone working a 5-day week that is 28 days, which is also the statutory maximum you have to give. Employers can offer more as a contractual benefit.
- How do I calculate part-time holiday entitlement?
- Multiply the number of days worked per week by 5.6. For example, 3 days a week gives 16.8 days a year. The 28-day cap still applies, so no part-time pattern produces more than 28 statutory days.
- How does holiday work for zero-hours or casual staff?
- For staff with irregular hours, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours they actually work. So 100 hours worked accrues about 12.07 hours of paid holiday. This calculator estimates that accrual for you.
- How do I pro-rate holiday for someone who starts mid-year?
- Work out the full-year entitlement, then multiply by the share of the leave year remaining. Someone entitled to 28 days who joins with 6 months left gets roughly 14 days. Tick the part-year option in the calculator to estimate it.
- Are bank holidays included in the 28 days?
- The 5.6 weeks (28 days) can include bank holidays — it is up to your contract. Some employers count the 8 UK bank holidays within the 28, others give them on top. Check the contract before promising extra days.
- Is the 28-day cap the same for everyone?
- The statutory cap is 28 days regardless of how many days a week someone works. A person working 6 or 7 days a week still only has a statutory minimum of 28 days, though you can offer more.
- Does this calculator handle holiday pay?
- No. It estimates entitlement in days or hours, not the amount of pay. Holiday pay is usually based on average weekly earnings, especially for staff with variable hours. Use payroll for the pay figure.
- Can Weekola track holiday balances across my team?
- Yes. Weekola's leave management keeps requests, approvals and remaining balances visible, and shows approved leave while you build the rota so you spot cover gaps before they happen.
- Is this a substitute for legal advice?
- No. It is a planning estimate based on GOV.UK statutory rules. For contractual terms, term-time contracts, or disputes, check GOV.UK guidance or take professional advice.
Weekola
Keep every holiday balance in one place
Move leave off spreadsheets and out of message threads. Weekola keeps requests, approvals and balances together, and visible while you plan the rota.