One of the most important questions you’ll want to ask when starting a new job is how much annual leave you'll get. While this does vary from company to company, UK workers are legally allowed a minimum holiday entitlement, known as Statutory Holiday Allowance.
Often referred to as statutory annual leave or statutory minimum holiday allowance, this is the legal baseline for paid holidays in the UK. It’s super important that workers understand what it is and how it works, what they’re entitled to and how to make the most of it. So, just how much is the UK statutory holiday allowance exactly?
We’ll answer all your burning questions about UK statutory holiday allowance, including what it means, how it’s calculated, and the key rules surrounding it.
Top Tip: If you want to calculate your statutory holiday allowance using your employment start date then head straight to our statutory holiday calculator.
What is statutory holiday allowance?
The statutory holiday allowance is the legal minimum amount of paid annual leave that workers in the UK are entitled to under the Working Time Regulations 1998. This makes sure that all employees, regardless of their role or sector, can take well-deserved time off to rest while still being paid their regular wages. Employers must provide this allowance to all their staff, to stay compliant and meet legal requirements.
For full-time workers in the UK (those that work a five-day week) the legal minimum is 28 days statutory annual leave entitlement per year, or 5.6 weeks. This applies whether you’re a permanent employee, agency worker or temporary staff.
Let’s take a closer look at how different working arrangements can affect holiday entitlement.
Calculating your statutory holiday allowance
Full-time workers (5-day week)
If you’re a full-time worker, your statutory minimum holiday entitlement is straightforward. You’re entitled to 28 days of annual leave per year, including bank holidays if your employer chooses to count them as part of this allowance. This legal entitlement applies whether you’re on a permanent contract or working as a temporary staff member.
Part-time workers
Part-time workers are entitled to a pro-rata share of the statutory holiday allowance. The calculation is simple:
The number of days worked per week x 5.6 = annual leave entitlement in days.
- If you work 3 days a week, you’re entitled to 16.8 days of leave per year.
- If you work 4 days a week, you’ll get 22.4 days off annually.
Employers round these figures up to ensure fairness, but they can never round them down.
This method also applies to employees with irregular hours or those on zero-hours contracts. If this applies to you and you want to figure out how many weeks’ holiday you’re owed, we’ve got a guide for you on how to calculate annual leave.
What if I work more than 5 days per week?
If you work more than five days a week - say, six days - your statutory entitlement remains capped at 28 days per year. Anything beyond this is discretionary and typically depends on your employer’s policies.
Most decent employers recognise the value of holidays, time off and annual leave to their team’s health and wellbeing. This means that firms looking to attract the best people will offer more than the statutory entitlement of 5.6 weeks holiday pay. In this case it'll be specifically covered in your offer letter, company handbook or contract of employment.
For employees starting mid-year
If you join a company partway through its holiday year, your entitlement will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, relative to the time you’ve been employed within that period. For detailed calculations, our statutory holiday calculator simplifies the process.
What about bank holidays?
One common question is whether bank holidays are included in the statutory holiday allowance. The answer can depend on your employment contract. Employers can either:
- Count bank holidays (typically 8 in England and Wales) as part of the 28-day statutory entitlement.
- Offer bank holidays in addition to the statutory leave.
While some roles require employees to take bank holidays as leave, in others, you may be required to work on those days or given them as optional time off. The specifics will be outlined in your employment contract.
For example, some employers may allow staff to take ‘substitute’ days off if they work on bank holidays, while others may pay extra for those shifts. Always clarify these details with your HR department or line manager.
Using your statutory holiday allowance effectively
Legally, you can start using your annual leave from the day you begin employment. That said, some companies may stagger access to holiday allowance over your first year of employment. For example, you might earn leave as you go, rather than receiving the full 28 days upfront.
Employers may also specify certain times of the year when leave must be taken, such as during company shutdowns or public holidays. Similarly, they may have restrictions during high-demand business periods. All such rules should be outlined in your contract or staff policies.
Can you carry over unused leave?
Where possible, employees are expected to take their statutory leave within the holiday year. However, there are some exceptions:
- If you couldn’t take leave due to maternity or sick leave, you may carry over up to 20 days to the next holiday year.
- Carried-over leave must typically be used within 18 months of the year it was accrued.
Your employer may allow you to carry over more generous amounts of leave, but this is at their discretion and usually depends on internal policies.
Do you get paid during statutory holiday leave?
Yes, statutory holiday allowance is a form of paid leave. When employees take holidays, they are entitled to their usual pay. For workers with fluctuating incomes, such as those paid by commission, holiday pay is calculated as a 12-week average of previous earnings.
However, payment in lieu of untaken leave is only allowed in specific situations, such as when an employee is leaving their role and cannot take their accrued holiday before their last working day.
If you're self-employed, work for the police, civil protection services or the armed forces, you're not entitled to statutory paid holiday.
How the right tools simplify managing leave
Managing holiday allowances can be tricky, especially in businesses with growing teams and varying working patterns. That’s where an online staff leave planner makes all the difference.
At Timetastic, we’ve developed a smart, easy-to-use online platform that simplifies everything from calculating statutory entitlements to booking time off. With features like automated pro-rata calculations, real-time team availability updates, and leave policy management, we take the guesswork and admin out of managing annual leave.
Try our staff leave planner today!
If you want to calculate leave allowances accurately and stay compliant with UK laws, now is the time to start using Timetastic.
Sign up for your one-month free trial today and discover how effortless holiday management can be for your business.
And if you want to learn more about UK statutory holidays, both ACAS and Gov.uk have some solid guidance.