What is the 12.07% holiday entitlement for zero-hours workers?

Workers on zero-hours contracts accrue holiday at 12.07% of the hours they work. This rate is derived from 5.6 weeks being 12.07% of the remaining 46.4 working weeks in a year. So for every 10 hours worked, they earn 1.207 hours of holiday pay.

Can my employer include bank holidays in my 28 days?

Yes. UK law allows bank holidays to count towards your 28-day statutory minimum. However, many employers choose to give bank holidays on top of the 28 days as a contractual benefit. Check your employment contract to see what applies to you.

What happens to unused holiday when I leave a job?

If you leave a job with unused statutory holiday, your employer must pay you for any accrued but untaken leave. This is calculated based on your average pay over the previous 52 weeks. Your employer cannot make you forfeit statutory leave you have genuinely earned.

Do I accrue holiday while on maternity leave?

Yes. You continue to accrue your full statutory and contractual holiday entitlement throughout maternity leave, including additional maternity leave. If your leave period spans a holiday year, you can carry unused holidays into the next year.

Mustafa Bilgic

Updated: 20 February 2026 · UK Employment Law Specialist

📅 Holiday Entitlement Calculator

Q: How many days holiday am I entitled to in the UK?

Full-time workers in the UK are entitled to a minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) paid annual leave per year. This can include bank holidays, or your employer may grant them on top of the 28 days.

Q: How do I calculate holiday entitlement for part-time workers?

Part-time workers calculate their holiday entitlement using the formula: (hours worked per week ÷ 5) × 5.6 weeks. For example, someone working 3 days a week gets 3 ÷ 5 × 5.6 = 16.8 days entitlement.

Worker type

Bank holiday treatment

Your hourly rate (£) — for holiday pay calculation

28 days

Annual holiday entitlement

UK Statutory Holiday Entitlement Explained

Every worker in the UK who works under a contract of employment or a worker's contract is entitled to paid annual leave. The Working Time Regulations 1998 set the minimum at 5.6 weeks per year, which equals 28 days for a standard five-day-week worker. This is the statutory floor — your employer can offer more, but never less.

The Core Rule: 5.6 Weeks

The 5.6 weeks figure is fixed in law. For full-time workers this translates directly to 28 days (5.6 × 5 = 28). The key point is that "days" are working days, not calendar days. So a worker doing a four-day week gets 5.6 × 4 = 22.4 days entitlement, not 28.

Full-time (5 days/week)

28 days (5.6 weeks × 5 days). This includes bank holidays if your employer counts them. England has 8 bank holidays per year.

Part-time formula

(Days/week ÷ 5) × 5.6. Example: 3 days = 3÷5×5.6 = 16.8 days. Employers must round up, never down.

Zero-hours workers

12.07% of hours worked. So if you work 100 hours in a period, you accrue 12.07 hours of paid holiday. You cannot waive this right.

Annualised hours

Divide contracted annual hours by 46.4 (weeks worked after removing 5.6 holiday weeks) to get weekly equivalents, then apply the formula.

Bank Holidays: Included or Extra?

There are 8 public bank holidays in England and Wales (9 in Scotland, 10 in Northern Ireland). UK law does not automatically give workers a right to bank holidays off — it all depends on your contract. Your employer may:

Include bank holidays within the 28-day statutory minimum (so you only get 20 extra days to book freely)
Give bank holidays on top of 28 days (common in public sector and many white-collar roles)
Require you to work bank holidays with time off in lieu

Rolled-Up Holiday Pay

From 1 January 2024, rolled-up holiday pay is legal for irregular-hours workers and part-year workers only. It means the employer adds 12.07% of pay on top of each payslip rather than paying a lump sum during annual leave. This cannot be used for regular workers on fixed hours contracts. If you receive rolled-up holiday pay, you should still be able to take the leave — you just will not receive extra pay during the absence.

How Holiday Pay Is Calculated

As of April 2020, holiday pay for workers with variable pay must be calculated using the 52-week average of actual earnings (excluding weeks not worked). This replaced the previous 12-week average and better reflects true average pay. The calculation includes regular overtime, commission, and shift allowances — it cannot be based solely on basic pay if those extras are regular and intrinsic to the job.

Employer tip: If your pay varies each month (e.g. commission-based), your holiday pay should reflect that average — not just your basic salary. If your employer only pays basic during leave, this may be unlawful under Bear Scotland Ltd v Fulton [2015].

Accrual in the First Year

You begin accruing holiday from your first day of employment. Many employers operate a pro-rata accrual system in the first year, which means you earn 1/12th of your annual entitlement for each complete month worked. After completing your first year, you are entitled to the full annual amount from the start of each leave year. Some contracts include a probationary period restriction on when leave can be taken, but accrual cannot be delayed.

Carrying Over Unused Holiday

The default rule under the Working Time Regulations is that statutory holiday cannot be carried forward — it is use-it-or-lose-it within the leave year. However, there are important exceptions:

Sickness absence: Holiday accrued during sick leave can be carried into the next year (or the next two years for the EU-derived 4 weeks).
Maternity/adoption/paternity leave: Holiday spanning the leave period can be carried over.
Employer prevention: If the employer prevented the worker from taking leave, it must be carried over. Following recent case law, workers have up to 18 months to use carried-over leave.

Holiday When Leaving a Job

When you leave employment (for any reason — resignation, redundancy, dismissal), you are entitled to payment in lieu for all accrued but untaken statutory holiday. This is calculated on a pro-rata basis for the portion of the leave year completed. Equally, if you have taken more holidays than you have accrued, your employer may deduct the excess from your final pay, but only if the employment contract explicitly permits this.

Maternity, Paternity & Parental Leave

Holiday entitlement continues to accrue throughout all family-related leave, including:

52 weeks of maternity leave (both ordinary and additional)
Two weeks of statutory paternity leave
Shared parental leave
Adoption leave
Parental bereavement leave

If the holiday year ends during the leave, unused holiday must be allowed to carry over into the next leave year. Many employees strategically take their accrued holiday immediately before or after maternity leave.

Worker Type	Formula	Example	Days Entitlement
Full-time (5 days)	Fixed	Standard contract	28 days
Part-time (4 days)	4÷5×5.6	4-day week	22.4 days
Part-time (3 days)	3÷5×5.6	3-day week	16.8 days
Part-time (2.5 days)	2.5÷5×5.6	2.5-day week	14 days
Zero-hours (500 hrs)	500×12.07%	500 hrs worked	60.35 hrs
Zero-hours (1000 hrs)	1000×12.07%	1,000 hrs worked	120.7 hrs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days holiday am I entitled to in the UK?

Full-time workers in the UK have a statutory minimum of 28 days (5.6 weeks) of paid annual leave. This figure includes bank holidays unless your contract specifies they are granted on top. Part-time and irregular-hours workers have a pro-rata entitlement. Your employer can grant more generous leave in your contract, but never less than the statutory minimum.

How do I calculate holiday entitlement for part-time workers?

Use the formula: (days worked per week ÷ 5) × 5.6 = days entitlement. For example, if you work 3 days per week: (3 ÷ 5) × 5.6 = 16.8 days. If the result is not a whole number, employers must round up (never down). The same approach works for hours: (hours per week ÷ 40 full-time equivalent) × 228.8 hours total entitlement.

What is the 12.07% holiday accrual for zero-hours workers?

Zero-hours and irregular-hours workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of every hour worked. This rate comes from 5.6 weeks being 12.07% of the 46.4 remaining working weeks in a year (52 − 5.6 = 46.4; 5.6 ÷ 46.4 = 12.07%). So for every 100 hours worked, you earn 12.07 hours of paid holiday. Employers can pay this as rolled-up holiday pay (added to each payslip) for irregular-hours workers since January 2024.

Can I carry over holiday if I was sick and couldn't take it?

Yes. If you were unable to take your statutory holiday because of sickness, you have the right to carry it over into the next leave year. The EU-derived four weeks can be carried over for up to 18 months. You should inform your employer of your intention to carry over leave and provide evidence of the sickness. Your employer cannot refuse to allow carry-over in genuine sickness situations.

What if my employer refuses to let me take holiday?

Your employer can refuse specific dates with reasonable notice, but they cannot prevent you from taking your statutory entitlement altogether within the leave year. If your employer continuously refuses leave and you lose entitlement as a result, you may have a claim at the Employment Tribunal for unlawful deduction from wages. Always request leave in writing and keep a record of any refusals. If the employer's refusal means you cannot take leave before the year end, the law requires them to allow carry-over or pay in lieu.

How is holiday pay calculated if my pay varies month to month?

Since April 2020, holiday pay for workers with variable pay is calculated as the average of the previous 52 working weeks (ignoring any weeks not worked). Regular overtime, commission, shift allowances, and other intrinsic payments must be included — it cannot be based on basic pay alone. Following the Bear Scotland v Fulton and Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust cases, employers who only pay basic salary during holidays may face backdated claims of up to two years.

Am I entitled to holiday pay from day one of employment?

Yes. Holiday accrual begins on your first day of work. However, when you can actually take that holiday depends on your contract — some employers specify a minimum service period (e.g. three months) before leave can be taken. This is contractually permissible as long as the leave is still accruing. In the first year, many employers apply a pro-rata accrual of 1/12th of annual entitlement per complete month worked, which is a reasonable and commonly used approach.