How the UK’s 5.6-week statutory holiday entitlement works for full-time, part-time and irregular-hours staff.
The 5.6-week rule
Full-time workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year — commonly expressed as 28 days for someone working a standard 5-day week, since 5.6 weeks × 5 days = 28 days.
Part-time staff
Entitlement is pro-rated based on hours or days actually worked — a part-timer working 3 days a week is entitled to 5.6 × 3 = 16.8 days, not the full 28.
Irregular hours
For genuinely irregular or zero-hours workers, entitlement is typically calculated as 12.07% of hours worked, reflecting the same underlying 5.6-week proportion applied to variable hours.
Work out entitlement for any pattern with the Payslp Holiday Entitlement calculator.
A worked example for irregular hours
Someone working an average of 20 hours a week across a year accrues 20 × 12.07% ≈ 2.4 hours of holiday entitlement per week worked — a small, easy-to-miscalculate figure that’s worth tracking carefully rather than estimating.
Frequently asked questions
Can holiday entitlement be carried over to the next year?
Limited carry-over is sometimes permitted, particularly for leave not taken due to sickness or statutory leave, but general unused holiday is often lost at year-end unless the employer’s policy explicitly allows carry-over.