| By Chandraketu Tripathi | Updated April 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Every worker in the UK is entitled to paid annual leave — 5.6 weeks per year as a minimum. But calculating exactly how much holiday pay you're owed, and what counts as a week's pay, is where most disputes arise. Major changes in April 2024 reformed how holiday pay is calculated for workers with irregular hours, and those rules continue into 2026. This guide tells you exactly what you're owed and how to calculate it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Key Facts Statutory holiday entitlement: 5.6 weeks/year (28 days for full-time) | Part-time: pro-rata | Irregular hours: 12.07% of hours worked | Holiday pay: normal week's pay including regular overtime | Day one right: yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Holiday Entitlement Calculator UK 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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How to Calculate Holiday Pay: Regular Hours Workers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For workers with fixed regular hours, holiday pay is simply your normal week's pay — including any regular guaranteed overtime, regular commission, and shift allowances that are routinely paid. Following the Supreme Court ruling in Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust, voluntary overtime that is sufficiently regular must also be included. To calculate daily holiday pay: divide your weekly pay by the number of days you work per week. Example: weekly pay £500, work 5 days = £100 per day holiday pay. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to Calculate Holiday Pay: Irregular & Zero-Hours Workers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For zero-hours workers, part-year workers, and those with irregular hours, holiday pay from 1 April 2024 is calculated at 12.07% of all hours worked in a reference period. The reference period is the 52 weeks in which the worker actually worked (blank weeks are ignored). Example: if you worked 800 hours over 52 weeks, your holiday entitlement = 800 × 12.07% = 96.6 hours of paid holiday. This method replaced the old 12-week average calculation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bank Holidays and Your Rights UK 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 💡 Always check whether your contract says 'X days holiday including bank holidays' or 'X days plus bank holidays'. The difference of 8 days per year is worth around £1,200 at an average UK salary. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Asked QuestionsHow much holiday pay am I entitled to UK 2026? Full-time workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year — equivalent to 28 days. Part-time workers receive the same entitlement on a pro-rata basis. For example, if you work 3 days a week, you are entitled to 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days. Holiday entitlement starts from day one of employment and there is no qualifying period. Bank holidays can be included within the 5.6 weeks or additional to it — check your contract. How is holiday pay calculated UK? Holiday pay for regular hours workers is calculated based on your normal weekly pay. For workers with irregular hours (including zero-hours contracts and part-time with variable hours), holiday pay from 1 April 2024 is calculated at 12.07% of hours worked in the previous 52 weeks. For regular workers, it is simply your normal week's pay. Overtime and commission must be included if they are regular and guaranteed. Can I be paid holiday pay in lieu UK? You can only receive payment in lieu of holiday (instead of taking leave) when you leave your employment — at the end of your contract. While you are still employed, your employer cannot pay you in lieu of statutory holiday entitlement. This is known as 'rolled-up holiday pay' and it is currently allowed for irregular hours and part-year workers from April 2024, but must be clearly itemised on payslips. Does sick leave affect holiday entitlement UK? Yes — holiday entitlement continues to accrue during sick leave. If you are too ill to take your holiday during your leave year, you are entitled to carry it forward into the next year (up to 4 weeks of statutory leave). If you become ill during a period of annual leave, you may be able to reclaim those days as sick leave and take the holiday at a later date — subject to your employer's policy and providing a fit note. How many days holiday are bank holidays UK? There are 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland, and 10 in Northern Ireland. Bank holidays are NOT automatically paid days off — whether you get paid for bank holidays depends on your employment contract. Many employers include bank holidays within the 5.6 weeks' statutory entitlement. If your contract says '28 days including bank holidays', you effectively get 20 days of flexible annual leave. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Disclaimer: Always verify with GOV.UK, Ofgem, Acas, and HMRC. Sources: ofgem.gov.uk, uswitch.com, moneysupermarket.com, acas.org.uk, ciphr.com, payfit.com, employeehandbooktemplateuk.co.uk. April 2026. |
Holiday Pay UK 2026: How Much Are You Entitled To & How to Calculate It
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