How many days holiday am I entitled to in the UK?

All workers in the UK are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year. For full-time workers (5 days a week), that's 28 days. This can include bank holidays — your employer doesn't have to give you bank holidays on top of your 28 days. Part-time workers get 5.6 weeks pro-rated to their hours. For example, someone working 3 days a week gets 16.8 days holiday per year.

Do bank holidays count as part of my 28 days?

It depends on your contract. Your employer CAN include the 8 bank holidays within your 28-day statutory minimum. So you'd get 20 days you can choose + 8 bank holidays = 28 total. Many employers give bank holidays on top of the 28 days (so 28 + 8 = 36), but they're not legally required to. Check your contract — it should specify whether bank holidays are included in or additional to your annual leave.

Can I carry over unused holiday to the next year?

Under basic statutory rules, you can carry over up to 8 days (1.6 weeks) into the next leave year if your employer agrees. The other 20 days (4 weeks from EU-derived law) must generally be taken in the leave year. However, if you were unable to take holiday due to sickness, maternity leave, or because your employer prevented you, you can carry over more. Since COVID, courts have also ruled that employers must actively encourage workers to take their leave — if they don't, you may be able to carry over untaken leave.

Do I get paid for untaken holiday when I leave a job?

Yes — when you leave a job, your employer must pay you for any statutory holiday you've accrued but not taken. This is called 'payment in lieu of holiday'. If you've taken more holiday than you've accrued (e.g. you leave in March but already took your full year's allowance), your employer may deduct the overpayment from your final pay — but only if your contract allows this.

Holiday Entitlement UK — Your Rights, Calculations & Rules | PocketWise

Every worker in the UK is entitled to paid holiday. Here’s exactly how much, how it’s calculated, and what to do if you’re not getting what you’re owed.

Statutory Holiday Entitlement

Worker type	Entitlement
Full-time (5 days/week)	28 days (5.6 weeks)
Part-time (3 days/week)	16.8 days (5.6 × 3)
Part-time (2 days/week)	11.2 days
Part-time (4 days/week)	22.4 days
Irregular hours/zero hours	12.07% of hours worked (accrual method)

The maximum statutory entitlement is 28 days — if you work 6 or 7 days a week, you still only get 28 days minimum by law (though your employer can offer more).

Bank Holidays

Question	Answer
Are bank holidays part of the 28 days?	Your employer decides — check your contract
How many bank holidays in England & Wales?	8 per year
How many in Scotland?	9 (includes St Andrew’s Day)
How many in Northern Ireland?	10 (includes St Patrick’s Day and Battle of the Boyne)
Must my employer give me bank holidays off?	No — there’s no legal right to have bank holidays as days off

Common Contract Arrangements

Arrangement	Total days off
20 days + 8 bank holidays	28 days (statutory minimum)
25 days + 8 bank holidays	33 days
28 days + 8 bank holidays	36 days
28 days including bank holidays	28 days (minimum, bank hols are within the 28)

Calculating Part-Time Holiday

Method: 5.6 × Days Worked Per Week

Days worked per week	Calculation	Annual holiday entitlement
5 days	5.6 × 5	28 days
4 days	5.6 × 4	22.4 days
3 days	5.6 × 3	16.8 days
2.5 days	5.6 × 2.5	14 days
2 days	5.6 × 2	11.2 days
1 day	5.6 × 1	5.6 days

Part-Time and Bank Holidays

Detail	How it works
Do part-timers get bank holidays?	Pro-rated — if bank holidays fall on days they don’t work, they may need equivalent time off on other days
Example	Worker does Mon-Wed. Bank holiday is on Monday. They get the day off. If bank holiday is on Friday (a non-working day), they should get an equivalent day added to their allowance

Irregular Hours and Zero Hours Contracts

Since January 2024, the calculation for irregular hours workers changed:

Method	Detail
Accrual rate	Holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period
Rolled-up holiday pay	Employer can add 12.07% to your hourly rate instead of giving separate paid time off
Who counts as irregular hours?	Workers whose paid hours are wholly or mostly variable — zero hours contracts, casual workers, agency staff

Example: Zero Hours Worker

Detail	Amount
Hours worked this month	80 hours
Holiday accrued	80 × 12.07% = 9.66 hours
Hourly rate	£12.00
Rolled-up holiday pay option	£12.00 × 12.07% = £1.45 extra per hour (total £13.45/hour, no separate paid leave)

Holiday Pay — How Much Should You Be Paid?

Type of worker	Holiday pay calculation
Fixed hours, fixed pay	Normal weekly pay
Regular overtime	Average weekly pay over 52 weeks (excluding weeks with no pay)
Commission-based	Average weekly earnings over 52 weeks including commission
Variable hours	Average weekly pay over 52 weeks
Shift workers	Average weekly pay over 52 weeks including shift premiums

What Counts Toward Holiday Pay

Included	Not included
Basic pay	Expenses
Regular overtime (guaranteed or regularly worked)	Occasional overtime that’s truly voluntary
Commission	Discretionary bonuses (usually)
Shift allowances	Benefits in kind
Regular bonuses tied to performance

Carry Over Rules

Situation	Can you carry over?
Normal circumstances	Up to 8 days (1.6 weeks) — if employer agrees
Sick and couldn’t take holiday	Yes — up to 4 weeks can be carried over to the next year (and up to 18 months)
Maternity/paternity leave	Yes — accrued holiday carries over
Employer prevented you from taking leave	Yes — employer is at fault, holiday carries over
Employer didn’t encourage you to take leave	Possibly — recent case law says employers must actively encourage workers to take leave

Holiday During Notice Period

Situation	Rules
Can employer force you to take holiday during notice?	Yes — but must give notice equal to twice the holiday period (e.g. 2 days’ notice for 1 day’s holiday)
Can you request holiday during notice?	Yes — employer can approve or refuse as normal
Untaken holiday when you leave	Must be paid in lieu
Taken too much holiday when you leave	Employer may deduct from final pay (if contract allows)

Common Problems

Problem	Your rights
Employer says you have no holiday entitlement	Unlawful — all workers get 5.6 weeks minimum
Employer includes bank holidays but only gives 20 days	That’s the minimum (20 + 8 = 28). Legal but not generous
Employer won’t let you take holiday	They can choose when you take it, but can’t prevent you entirely
Not being paid during holiday	Unlawful — holiday must be paid at your normal rate
Holiday pay doesn’t include regular overtime	Should be included — raise with employer or ACAS
“Use it or lose it” policy with no carry over	Your employer must allow carry over of 1.6 weeks if you couldn’t take it
Agency worker not getting holiday	You’re entitled from day one — raise with agency

What to Do If You’re Not Getting Your Entitlement

Step	Action
1	Check your contract — what does it say about holiday?
2	Raise it informally with your manager or HR
3	Put it in writing — email creates a paper trail
4	Contact ACAS for advice: 0300 123 1100
5	Consider an employment tribunal claim (within 3 months minus 1 day of the issue)