Guide
Holiday entitlement UK: how much paid holiday do you get?
Updated
Holiday is a day-one right with no qualifying period and no opt-out. The only questions are how much your working pattern produces, and whether you are being paid correctly for it.
The statutory minimum
Almost every employee and worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid annual leave under the Working Time Regulations 1998: 28 days for someone working a five-day week, and pro-rata for fewer days (4 days a week = 22.4 days). The statutory entitlement is capped at 28 days, so a six-day week still yields 28 (gov.uk). Employers may include bank holidays within the 5.6 weeks: there is no separate statutory right to bank holidays off.
Common patterns
| Pattern | Statutory entitlement |
|---|---|
| 5 days a week | 28 days |
| 4 days a week | 22.4 days |
| 3 days a week | 16.8 days |
| 6 days a week | 28 days (statutory cap) |
| Irregular hours / part-year | 12.07% of hours worked each pay period |
Irregular hours and holiday pay
- For irregular-hours and part-year workers, leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024 accrue holiday at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period, and employers may pay rolled-up holiday pay (a 12.07% uplift on each payslip, itemised) instead (gov.uk).
- Holiday pay must reflect normal pay: for the 4 weeks of EU-derived leave, regular overtime, commission and allowances count, calculated over a 52-week reference period for variable pay.
- Leave accrues from day one and continues to accrue through sick leave and family leave.
- On termination, accrued untaken statutory holiday must be paid out, whatever the contract says.
If holiday pay is missing or paid at bare hourly rate despite regular overtime, that is an unlawful deduction claim workers can bring from day one. This page states the position for leave years from April 2024; check gov.uk for your leave year.