The 5.6-week rule
Every UK worker is legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, and a "week" means whatever your working week looks like:
So a 5-day week earns 28 days, a 4-day week 22.4 days, a 3-day week 16.8 days. The cap means a 6-day week still earns 28. Bank holidays are not automatically extra: employers may count them within the 5.6 weeks.
Worked examples
Irregular hours? Use the 12.07% method
For zero-hours and irregular-hours workers, holiday accrues at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period (the law since April 2024). The number comes from the maths of the statutory year: 52 weeks minus 5.6 weeks of leave gives 46.4 working weeks, and 5.6 ÷ 46.4 = 12.07%. Work 80 hours in a month and you accrue about 9.7 hours of paid holiday.
Worth knowing
- Statutory holiday is a floor, not a ceiling: contracts often give more.
- Part-year accrual must not be rounded down; half-day rounding up is common practice.
- Leavers are paid for accrued untaken statutory leave in their final pay.
- The official calculator at gov.uk covers edge cases like shift patterns and annualised hours. This page is guidance, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much holiday am I legally entitled to?
Statutory paid holiday in the UK is 5.6 weeks a year. For someone working 5 days a week that is 28 days; for 3 days a week it is 16.8 days. The statutory figure is capped at 28 days, so working 6 days a week does not raise it further.
Are bank holidays on top of the 28 days?
Not necessarily. There is no legal right to time off on bank holidays: employers can count them within the 5.6 weeks. A common full-time package of 20 days plus 8 bank holidays exactly meets the statutory minimum. More generous contracts treat bank holidays as extra.
What if I start or leave partway through the year?
Entitlement accrues in proportion to the part of the leave year you are employed. Working 6 months of the year on a 5-day week gives 14 days. Employers may round up (and often round to half-days) but must not round down.
How does it work for irregular or zero-hours workers?
Since April 2024, holiday for irregular-hours and part-year workers accrues at 12.07% of hours worked in each pay period. Work 100 hours and you bank about 12 hours of paid leave. The 12.07% comes from 5.6 weeks divided by the 46.4 working weeks that remain.
Can my employer give more than the statutory minimum?
Yes, and many do: 25 days plus bank holidays is a common UK package. The law only sets the floor of 5.6 weeks. Check your contract, because contractual holiday follows its own rules on things like carry-over.