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How to Calculate Holiday Pay for Part-Time Workers

Holiday pay part time UK, in one rule: part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks of paid leave as full-time workers, pro-rated to what they actually work. Three days a week means 16.8 days a year, and a week's holiday is paid at a week's normal pay — but for irregular hours the calculation runs through the 12.07% accrual method and a 52-week average instead.

By the UrbiTools editorial team · Rates checked against GOV.UK · Updated

Method 1: fixed part-time days — the pro-rata calculation

If you work the same days every week, the calculation is simple multiplication: days worked per week × 5.6 = annual entitlement in days. Three days a week gives 16.8 days; two days gives 11.2; four days gives 22.4. A week's holiday pay is then your normal weekly pay — for a 3-day worker on £12.71 an hour at 7.5 hours a day, that is 22.5 hours × £12.71 = £286.00 per week of leave. Fractions of a day are real: 16.8 days means 16 full days plus 0.8 of a day, usually taken as hours.

Method 2: irregular hours — the 12.07% accrual

If your hours vary week to week, or you work only part of the year, your employer must use the accrual system for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024: you build up 12.07% of the hours you work in each pay period. Work 68 hours in a month and you accrue 68 × 12.07% = 8.21 hours, which rounds to 8 hours of leave (fractions of 30 minutes or more round up, less rounds down). At the £12.71 National Living Wage, those 8 hours are worth £101.68 when taken. Leave accrues on the last day of each pay period and can be taken from the next one.

What a week of leave is actually paid at

For irregular-hours workers, a week's holiday pay is based on average earnings over the previous 52 paid weeks — weeks with no pay are skipped, not counted as zero. Overtime that is compulsory counts toward the average; purely voluntary overtime generally does not, though regular voluntary overtime that is effectively part of normal pay can. Commission and regular bonuses count too. This is the part employers most often get wrong for part-timers: paying a week's leave at contracted hours when the worker regularly works more understates the holiday pay.

Rolled-up holiday pay, and the records duty

Instead of paying you when you take leave, an employer of irregular-hours or part-year staff may add 12.07% to every payslip as rolled-up holiday pay — but only if it is shown as a separate item, paid at the time of the work, and genuinely reflects the accrual. Since 6 April 2026 employers must also keep records of annual leave and holiday pay, including carry-over, for six years. If your payslip shows no separate holiday line and no leave balance, ask — the records duty means your employer should be able to show both.

Work out your entitlement with the holiday pay calculator, and for the general rules see holiday entitlement explained.

Sources & official guidance

Frequently asked questions

How much holiday does a part-time worker get?
The same 5.6 weeks, pro-rated to the days you work. Someone working 3 days a week gets 5.6 × 3 = 16.8 days a year; someone on 2 days gets 11.2 days. The 28-day cap applies only to people working more than 5 days a week.
How is holiday pay calculated for part-time workers?
A week's holiday is paid at a week's normal pay. For fixed part-time hours, that is straightforward: contracted hours × hourly rate. For irregular hours, the week's pay is the average over the previous 52 paid weeks, and entitlement accrues at 12.07% of hours worked each pay period.
What is the 12.07% holiday accrual method?
Irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue leave at 12.07% of the hours they work in each pay period. The figure comes from 5.6 weeks of leave ÷ 46.4 working weeks (52 − 5.6) = 12.07%. It applies to leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024.
Can holiday pay be rolled up into my hourly rate?
For irregular-hours and part-year workers, yes — employers may pay rolled-up holiday pay at 12.07% of pay in each pay period, but it must be itemised separately on the payslip and paid at the time of the work. For regular-hours staff, rolled-up pay is not permitted; holiday must be paid when taken.
Does bank holiday working change part-time entitlement?
Bank holidays are not extra on top of the 5.6 weeks unless your contract says so — the statutory minimum includes them. A part-timer whose working days include bank holidays uses their pro-rata entitlement on those days, which is why some part-timers run out of leave faster than colleagues.

Related calculators & guides

Holiday Pay CalculatorUK holiday entitlement — 5.6 weeks' paid leave, capped at 28 days, plus 12.07% accrual.Holiday Entitlement ExplainedThe 5.6 weeks rule, the 28-day cap, bank holidays and carry-over.UK Minimum Wage 2026£12.71 an hour for 21+, from 1 April 2026.Salary to Hourly Calculator UKAnnual salary converted to hourly, weekly and monthly pay.

More: statutory pay & leave guides

Is Maternity Pay Taxed in the UK? (SMP & Maternity Allowance)SMP is taxed as earnings; Maternity Allowance is not — plus the tax-year trap and getting overpaid tax back.How Sick Pay Works in the UK (SSP From Day One, 2026/27)£123.25 a week or 80% of earnings from day one, no waiting days, no earnings threshold, up to 28 weeks.Holiday Entitlement Explained: The 5.6 Weeks Rule (UK)5.6 weeks' paid leave, capped at 28 days — pro-rata for part-time, 12.07% accrual for irregular hours.How Is Statutory Maternity Pay Calculated in the UK? (2026/27)90% of average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 or 90% if lower — the AWE method and worked examples.Statutory Sick Pay Rates 2026: £123.25 a Week From Day One£123.25 a week or 80% of earnings, from the first sick day since 6 April 2026 — no waiting days, no earnings limit.