How-to guide

How to work out staff holiday entitlement

Most UK workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year. The arithmetic is simple for full-timers; it's part-timers, bank holidays and irregular hours that catch people out.

Published 8 Nov 20265 min readBy metre2

Quick answer

Multiply the days someone works each week by 5.6, capped at 28 days, then track what's booked against it. Open the Metre2 Staff Holiday & Absence Tracker in your browser - it's free for 15 days, then a one-off price, and nothing you type is uploaded.

The basic rule

Almost all workers get at least 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working 5 days a week that's 28 days, and the statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days even for people who work 6 days.

Part-time staff

Pro rata: days worked per week × 5.6. Someone working 3 days a week gets at least 16.8 days. You can round up, but not down.

Bank holidays

There's no legal right to bank holidays off on top of the 5.6 weeks - employers can include them in the entitlement. Write down which you do in the contract, and remember part-timers who don't normally work Mondays.

Irregular hours and part-year workers

For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, holiday for irregular-hours and part-year workers builds up as 12.07% of the hours they work in each pay period. Check GOV.UK's guidance for how to apply it.

Track it

Keep each person's entitlement, what's booked and what's left, and watch for too many people off at once.

Do it in the Metre2 Staff Holiday & Absence Tracker - 15 days free in your browser, or as a Windows app.

Use it in your browser - free, no sign-up Get the Windows app More about Staff Holiday & Absence Tracker

Common mistakes

Giving part-timers 28 days' worth of bank holidays they can't use.
Rounding part-time entitlement down.
Using the old holiday rules for irregular-hours staff.

Frequently asked questions

Is this HR advice?

No. It summarises GOV.UK's guidance on holiday entitlement - your contracts may give more than the statutory minimum.

Can it track requests and balances?

Yes. The Staff Holiday & Absence Tracker handles requests, approvals, half days and balances, leaves out weekends and bank holidays, and warns when too many people are off.