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Basic calculation

For a basic calculation of your leave allowance multiply the number of days you work a week by 5.6. For example, if you work a five day week you would be entitled to 28 day' annual leave a year:

5 days x 5.6 weeks = 28 days

For more complex holiday entitlement calculations you can use the employee holiday calculator on businesslink.gov.uk.

• Calculate your holiday entitlement Opens new window

Part-time workers

• Part-time work

Agency workers

If you are an agency worker, you are entitled to the statutory minimum leave entitlement. Your agency must allow you to take your paid holidays.

• Agency workers - an introduction

Casual or irregular working patterns

If you work casually or irregular hours it may well be easiest to calculate the holiday entitlement that accrues (that is accumulates) as hours are worked. The holiday entitlement of 5.6 weeks is equivalent to 12.07 per cent of the hours you worked. The 12.07 per cent figure is:

5.6 weeks' holiday, divided by 46.4 weeks (being 52 weeks - 5.6 weeks) multiplied by 100 = 12.07 per cent

The 5.6 weeks have to be excluded from the calculation as you would not be present during the 5.6 weeks in order to accrue annual leave. For example, if you had worked 10 hours, you would be entitled to 72.6 minutes' paid holiday:

12.07 per cent x 10 hours = 1.21 hours = 72.6 minutes

The holiday entitlement is just over seven minutes for each hour worked.

Shift workers

If you are a shift worker your leave is calculated by using an average of your shifts over a 17 week period.

For example, if you always work four 12 hour shifts, followed by four days off (the ‘continental’ shift pattern) then the average working week is three-and-a-half 12 hour shifts. You would be entitled to 19.6 shifts of 12 hours as annual leave a year:

5.6 weeks x 3.5 shifts = 19.6 12 hour shifts

For other shift patterns, it may be easiest to calculate according to the established pattern of repeat.

• Working time - find out what counts as working time
• Calculate your holiday entitlement Opens new window

Term-time workers

If you only work term-time your holiday arrangements will depend on your contract of employment. If you work a reduced number of weeks during the year, you accrue a pro-rata entitlement to paid leave. You need to calculate how many hours a week you work on average over the whole year, then multiply this by the holiday allowance.

For example: your contract is for 40 hours a week for 40 weeks of the year, 40 x 40

Step one: multiply your weekly contracted hours by the number of weeks you work:

40 hours x 40 weeks = 1,600 working hours for the year

Step two: calculate the average hours you work each week by dividing your hours for the year by 46.4 (which is 52 weeks in the year minus the 5.6 weeks you would be on holiday and so not working to accrue annual leave):

1,600 hours divided by 46.4 weeks = 34.48 average hours a week

Step three: multiply your average working week by the holiday allowance:

34.48 hours x 5.6 weeks = 193.09 working hours' holiday allowance a year

Step four: if you want to convert this into holiday days, then divide again by the number of hours per day that you work.

Taking your leave

If you work your full 1,600 hours and take your holiday at other times (eg during school holidays) you accrue holiday on the whole 1,600 hours which equals 193.09 hours.

If your contract of employment requires you to take your holiday during term-time, you accrue holiday on the weeks (or hours) you actually work.

More useful links

• Acas leaflet on holidays and holiday pay Opens new window
• Help with PDF files
• Advice for your employer on holiday entitlements from Business Link Opens new window