UK Holiday Pay Calculator
Estimate your holiday pay using common UK methods for fixed pay and variable pay workers.
If you searched for a holiday pay calculator uk, you probably want a quick answer to one core question: what should I be paid when I take annual leave? This page gives you a practical calculator and a plain-English guide to the UK rules so you can sense-check your payslip with confidence.
How holiday pay works in the UK
Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per leave year. For someone working 5 days per week, that is 28 days. For part-time workers, entitlement is pro-rated based on days worked. Employers can include bank holidays in that entitlement.
- Full-time 5-day pattern: 28 days total statutory leave.
- 3 days per week: 16.8 days statutory leave.
- There is generally a statutory cap of 28 days for the 5.6-week entitlement framework.
What should holiday pay include?
Holiday pay is intended to reflect your normal pay. Depending on your pay structure, this may include more than basic salary. For many workers, regular overtime and some commission elements may need to be reflected for at least part of leave. Exact treatment can vary based on contract wording and case law, so payroll teams often apply a policy framework across the business.
Which method should you use?
1) Fixed pay workers
If your pay is stable and your hours are set, a quick estimate is straightforward: convert pay to a weekly figure, then to a daily value, then multiply by days of leave taken.
Simple formula: weekly pay = annual salary ÷ 52; daily holiday pay = weekly pay ÷ working days per week.
2) Variable pay workers
If hours and pay vary week by week, holiday pay is commonly based on average pay across a reference period of paid weeks (often up to 52 paid weeks, depending on circumstances). This calculator lets you input total reference-period pay and number of paid weeks, then estimates the value of leave days.
Step-by-step: using this holiday pay calculator uk tool
- Select your pay type: fixed or variable.
- Enter either annual salary (fixed) or reference-period pay and paid weeks (variable).
- Enter your working days per week.
- Enter the number of holiday days you are taking.
- Click Calculate Holiday Pay to get an instant estimate.
Examples
Example A: fixed salary
Annual salary: £31,200. Working days per week: 5. Holiday taken: 5 days.
Weekly pay is £600, daily rate is £120, and one week (5 days) of holiday pay is £600.
Example B: variable pay
Total pay over 26 paid weeks: £13,000. Working days per week: 5. Holiday taken: 2.5 days.
Average weekly pay is £500, daily rate is £100, and 2.5 days of holiday pay is £250.
Common holiday pay mistakes to avoid
- Using calendar weeks instead of paid weeks for variable pay calculations.
- Ignoring regular extra earnings that are part of normal pay patterns.
- Mixing up entitlement (days allowed) with pay rate (amount due per day).
- Forgetting that part-time leave should be pro-rated fairly.
- Assuming all workers should be calculated with the same formula.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include bank holidays?
Bank holidays can be included in statutory leave entitlement if your contract says so. The pay value still depends on your normal holiday pay rules.
What if I work compressed hours?
You may still take leave in days (or hours), but payroll may convert entitlement and pay differently. If you work long shifts, ask your employer whether leave is tracked in hours for accuracy.
What about irregular hours and part-year workers?
UK rules have evolved for these categories, including accrual-based approaches in certain cases. If that sounds like your setup, use this calculator as a quick estimate and confirm the final amount with payroll or HR.
Final thoughts
A good holiday pay estimate helps you plan time off, compare payslips, and ask better questions if numbers look off. Use the calculator above for a fast check, then confirm official figures with your employer’s payroll method and current UK guidance.