Statutory annual leave entitlement
Most workers who work a 5-day week must receive at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.
Part-time workers
Part-time workers who work regular hours for the whole year are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday, but this will amount to fewer than 28 days.
For example, if you work 3 days a week, you must get at least 16.8 days’ leave a year (3 × 5.6).
Use the holiday entitlement calculator on the GOV.UK website to work out a part-time worker’s leave.
People working irregular hours or part of the year are still entitled to up to 5.6 weeks statutory leave.
In this instance you will build up (‘accrue’) leave depending on the hours you’ve already worked, rather than getting a fixed number of days or hours.
Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out how much leave you’ve accrued in a pay period.
For leave years beginning on or before 31 March 2024, leave entitlement for irregular-hours and part-year workers does not need to be accrued based on hours you’ve already worked. You can use the holiday entitlement calculator to estimate your entitlement based on the average days or hours you work each week.
Holiday pay
A week’s pay is worked out according to the kind of hours you work and how you’re paid for the hours. This includes full-time, part-time, term-time and casual workers.
| Working pattern | How a week’s pay is calculated |
|---|---|
| Regular hours and fixed pay (full- or part-time) | A worker’s pay for a week |
| Shift work with regular hours (full- or part-time) | The average number of weekly fixed hours a worker has worked in the previous 52 weeks, at their average hourly rate |
| Irregular-hours and part-year work | A worker’s average pay from the previous 52 weeks (only counting weeks in which you were paid) |
For regular-hours workers (full- or part-time), employers must pay:
- at least 4 weeks of your statutory entitlement at your ‘normal’ rate of pay
- the remaining 1.6 weeks at a ‘basic’ rate of pay
If you work part of the year, employers must also follow these rules if your leave year began on or before 31 March 2024.
For irregular-hours workers or those who work part of the year, all leave must be paid at your ‘normal’ rate of pay.
‘Normal’ rate of pay includes commission, regular overtime payments, and any payments related to length of service or professional qualifications. It does not usually include bonus payments.
Bank holidays
Bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave.
An employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory annual leave.
Accrued holiday whilst on Maternity Leave
You continue to accrue (build up) your paid holiday during your maternity leave as if you were still at work. It is up to you to decide when you wish to take your paid holiday and you should agree it with your employer in the usual way.
However, you will only continue to accrue paid holiday if you are classed as an employee. You must be an employee to qualify for maternity leave (with the right to return to the same job at the end of the leave and to retain contractual rights during that period).
Disputes
Paid annual leave is a legal right that an employer must provide. If you think your rights to leave and pay are not being met you should consider raising a grievance. If you feel that your employer has not dealt with your grievance you could make a claim to an employment tribunal
Last Updated on May 27, 2026 by Ashford Advice