UK statutory annual leave explained
The legal minimum, how bank holidays fit in, and the maths for part-timers, carry-over and holiday pay - written for UK employers and the people who plan around them.
Almost every UK worker is legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave a year. For a five-day week that is 28 days. Employers can count the 8 bank holidays (England & Wales) within that 28 or add them on top. Entitlement is capped at 28 statutory days, and part-time staff get a pro-rata share.
The statutory minimum: 5.6 weeks
Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, workers accrue a statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks' paid holiday per leave year. Multiply the number of days worked in a normal week by 5.6 to get the entitlement in days:
- A 5-day week → 5 × 5.6 = 28 days.
- The statutory allowance is capped at 28 days, so a 6-day week is still 28, not 33.6.
- Many employers offer more than the minimum as a benefit - that extra is contractual.
Where bank holidays fit in
This is the most common source of confusion. There are 8 permanent bank holidays in England and Wales (Scotland has 9, Northern Ireland 10). Crucially:
- There is no automatic legal right to take bank holidays off work.
- An employer can include bank holidays within the 28-day statutory allowance, or grant them in addition.
- What applies to a given job comes down to the contract of employment - so spell it out clearly.
If bank holidays are inside the 28, someone on a 5-day week effectively has 20 days of "choose your own" leave plus the 8 fixed days.
Pro-rata leave for part-time workers
Part-time entitlement uses the same 5.6 multiplier, so nobody loses out proportionally.
| Working pattern | Calculation | Statutory leave |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days a week | 5 × 5.6 | 28 days |
| 4 days a week | 4 × 5.6 | 22.4 days |
| 3 days a week | 3 × 5.6 | 16.8 days |
| 2.5 days a week | 2.5 × 5.6 | 14 days |
Where the maths lands on a fraction, round up rather than down, or manage it in hours - never round an entitlement down below the statutory figure.
Leave in the first year and accrual
In their first year, a worker typically accrues leave monthly, building up one-twelfth of the annual entitlement at the start of each month. After the first year, the full allowance is available across the leave year.
Carry-over: what can roll into next year
- The core 4 weeks should generally be taken within the leave year in which it is earned.
- The additional 1.6 weeks can be carried over into the next year if the employer agrees.
- Leave can also be carried where the worker was unable to take it due to sickness or statutory leave such as maternity.
- Most employers set a carry-over cap (for example up to 5 days) in the holiday policy.
How holiday pay works
Holiday is paid at the worker's normal rate of pay. For those with variable pay, a week's pay is usually based on an average of recent earnings. For irregular-hours and part-year workers, holiday can be accrued at 12.07% of hours worked, and rolled-up holiday pay (an uplift on each payslip) is permitted for those groups. Always check the current GOV.UK guidance as the detail evolves.
How CoDash handles UK leave
CoDash builds these rules in so you are not maintaining a holiday spreadsheet. It pro-rates allowances for part-time patterns, syncs UK bank holidays from gov.uk and excludes them from working-day counts, supports half-days and carry-over with a cap, and shows everyone their remaining balance live. See time off and absence, or read our guide to the Bradford Factor for the absence side.
Frequently asked questions
How much statutory annual leave do UK workers get?
5.6 weeks of paid leave a year - 28 days for a five-day week - as a legal minimum under the Working Time Regulations 1998, capped at 28 statutory days.
Are bank holidays included in the 5.6 weeks?
They can be. There is no automatic right to bank holidays off. Employers may include the 8 England & Wales bank holidays within the 28 days or grant them on top - the contract decides.
How do I calculate leave for a part-timer?
Multiply days worked per week by 5.6. Three days a week gives 16.8 days a year. Round up rather than down, or manage the entitlement in hours.
Can unused holiday be carried over?
The core 4 weeks should normally be used in-year; the extra 1.6 weeks can carry over by agreement, and leave missed due to sickness or statutory leave can also carry. Many employers set a cap.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your situation, check GOV.UK or Acas.
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