NHS Unsocial Hours Calculator
Agenda for Change Section 2 night, weekend & bank holiday pay for 2025/26
Last updated: June 2026
NHS Unsocial Hours Pay Calculator (2025/26)
Work out your Agenda for Change Section 2 enhancements for night, weekend and bank holiday hours. Pick your band and pay point, enter your hours, and we'll show the uplift and total.
Basic hourly rate: £15.88 (annual ÷ 52.143 weeks ÷ 37.5 hours)
What this calculator does
If you work for the NHS in England under the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system, you earn extra money – called an unsocial hours payment – whenever you work nights, weekends or public holidays. These enhancements are set out in Section 2 of the NHS terms and conditions and are paid on top of your basic hourly rate. This NHS unsocial hours calculator works out exactly how much extra you should receive for the antisocial shifts you actually work, based on the verified 2025/26 enhancement percentages and pay scales.
It is built for nurses, healthcare assistants, porters, paramedics, administrative and clerical staff and anyone else paid under AfC who does shift work. Choose your pay band and pay point so the tool can look up your correct basic hourly rate, then enter how many hours you work in each category – night/Saturday, Sunday/bank holiday, and standard daytime. The calculator shows the enhanced rate per hour, the cash uplift you gain, and your total gross pay per week, month and year. It is ideal for checking a payslip, comparing job offers, or planning whether picking up extra nights is worth it.
How it works
Under Section 2 of Agenda for Change, "unsocial hours" means any time outside Monday to Friday 6am–8pm. The enhancement is a percentage added to your basic hourly rate, and the percentage depends on your band and when you work:
| Pay band | Weekday nights & all day Saturday | All day Sunday & bank holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Band 2 | +41% | +83% |
| Band 3 | +35% | +69% |
| Bands 4–9 | +30% | +60% |
Your basic hourly rate is your annual AfC salary divided by 52.143 weeks and then by 37.5 hours (the standard NHS full-time week). The calculator multiplies that rate by 1 plus the enhancement for each category, then by the hours you worked. Only the single highest applicable rate applies to any given hour – enhancements do not stack (you do not get the night rate and the Sunday rate at the same time; you get the higher one).
Worked example
Sara is a Band 5 nurse at the entry pay point, earning £31,049 a year. Her basic hourly rate is £31,049 ÷ 52.143 ÷ 37.5 = £15.88.
- She works 12 night hours (weekday, after 8pm). As a Band 5, the night enhancement is +30%, so her rate is £15.88 × 1.30 = £20.65/hr, giving £247.80.
- She works 7.5 Sunday hours. The Sunday enhancement is +60%, so her rate is £15.88 × 1.60 = £25.41/hr, giving £190.58.
- The unsocial uplift alone (the extra on top of basic) is £15.88 × 0.30 × 12 + £15.88 × 0.60 × 7.5 = £128.63 that week.
Her gross pay for those 19.5 unsocial hours is about £438.38, versus £309.75 at basic rate – over £128 extra for working the antisocial shifts. All figures are gross, before tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
Frequently asked questions
What hours count as unsocial hours in the NHS?
Unsocial hours are any time outside Monday to Friday, 6am to 8pm. This means all weekday evenings and nights (after 8pm and before 6am), all of Saturday, all of Sunday, and public/bank holidays. The exact enhancement depends on your band and whether the hours fall in the night/Saturday group or the Sunday/bank holiday group.
Do the enhancements stack on a bank holiday night?
No. Section 2 of Agenda for Change pays only the single highest applicable percentage for any hour worked. If a night shift falls on a bank holiday, you receive the higher (Sunday/bank holiday) rate, not the night rate added on top of it. This calculator follows that single-highest-rate rule.
Are unsocial hours payments pensionable and taxable?
Unsocial hours payments under Section 2 are pensionable and count as part of your gross pay, so they are subject to Income Tax, National Insurance and NHS pension contributions. The figures shown here are gross (before any deductions). Use a salary calculator to estimate your take-home pay.
Which NHS staff get the higher Band 1–3 enhancement rates?
Bands 1, 2 and 3 receive higher percentage enhancements (for example Band 2 gets +41% nights and +83% Sundays) to protect the earnings of lower-paid staff. Bands 4 and above receive +30% for nights/Saturdays and +60% for Sundays and bank holidays. This reflects the agreed Agenda for Change Section 2 structure.
Source: enhancement percentages and definitions from the NHS Staff Council / NHS Employers Agenda for Change Section 2 (unsocial hours payments), 2025/26, and the NHS England 2025/26 pay scales. See NHS Employers: unsocial hours payments and the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook.
Related calculators: NHS Pay Calculator · Salary Calculator · Overtime Pay Calculator · Pension Pot Calculator · All UK Calculators.