Pro Rata Holiday Calculator: Work Out Your Annual Leave
Author : prorata calculators | Published On : 16 Sep 2026
Knowing how much annual leave you can take matters when you work part-time, start a job during the year, or have changing hours. UK workers are generally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year, but the calculation depends on the contract and working pattern. A Pro Rata Holiday Calculator can help you estimate your entitlement quickly.
What Is Pro Rata Holiday?
Pro rata holiday is annual leave calculated in proportion to your working arrangement. Part-time employees do not normally lose holiday rights because they work fewer days or hours.
For a regular part-time employee, the basic calculation is:
Working days per week × 5.6 = Annual statutory holiday entitlement
For example, if you work three days per week:
3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days
Your statutory entitlement would be 16.8 days for a full leave year.
An employer can provide more holiday than the statutory minimum, so check your employment contract before calculating your total allowance.
How Does a Pro Rata Holiday Calculator Work?
A Pro Rata Holiday Calculator uses your working pattern to estimate annual leave. For regular-hours employees, you normally need your working days, full-time pattern, annual entitlement, employment dates, and holiday already taken.
For example, a full-time employee works five days per week and receives 28 days of annual leave. If you work four days per week:
28 × 4 ÷ 5 = 22.4 days
Your annual entitlement would be 22.4 days.
This method works well when your schedule remains consistent throughout the leave year.
How to Calculate Holiday for Part-Time Workers
The simplest calculation for a regular part-time worker is to multiply working days by 5.6.
2 days per week × 5.6 = 11.2 days
3 days per week × 5.6 = 16.8 days
4 days per week × 5.6 = 22.4 days
These figures represent the statutory minimum for a full leave year. Your employer may offer additional contractual leave.
The key point is that part-time workers generally receive the same 5.6 weeks of statutory holiday as full-time workers, but the entitlement is expressed according to their working pattern.
Pro Rata Holiday When Starting Mid-Year
Starting a job part way through the holiday year can affect the amount of leave available.
Suppose your full annual entitlement is 28 days and you start halfway through the leave year. A simple proportional calculation is:
28 × 50% = 14 days
This gives an estimated entitlement of 14 days for the remaining half of the year.
During the first year of employment, employers can use an accrual system. GOV.UK states that employers can calculate leave accrued during the first year by giving one-twelfth of the annual entitlement for each month.
Your actual entitlement depends on your employment dates, leave year, contract, and the method used by your employer.
Pro Rata Holiday When Leaving a Job
If you leave before the end of the holiday year, your entitlement normally needs to reflect the portion of the leave year you have worked.
For example, if your annual entitlement is 28 days and you have worked 75% of the leave year:
28 × 75% = 21 days
If you have already taken 15 days:
21 − 15 = 6 days
You would have an estimated six days remaining. If you have taken more leave than you accrued, the treatment can depend on your contract and circumstances.
Calculating Holiday by Hours
Holiday can also be calculated in hours, especially when employees work different hours on different days.
For example, an employee might work four days each week but work six hours on Monday and eight hours on Tuesday. Calculating leave only by days may not accurately represent that pattern.
Using hours can make entitlement easier to track when daily schedules vary.
For eligible irregular-hours or part-year workers, specific UK rules apply. For leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, statutory holiday generally accrues at 12.07% of hours worked in a pay period.
How proratacalculators Can Help
If you need to check several working patterns, proratacalculators can make the process easier.
You can compare estimated entitlement when working two, three, or four days per week. You can also check how starting or leaving during the holiday year may affect available leave.
A calculator is useful for estimating figures, but your employment contract remains important because employers may provide contractual holiday above the statutory minimum.
Do Bank Holidays Count as Annual Leave?
Yes, bank holidays can be included within statutory holiday entitlement.
For example, if you receive 28 days of statutory holiday, your employer can include bank holidays within those 28 days rather than providing 28 days plus all bank holidays.
If a bank holiday falls on a day you normally work, it may be deducted from your allowance when you take that day off. The exact arrangement depends on your contract and workplace rules.
Part-time employees may need a different approach because their normal working days can differ from bank holiday dates.
Does Holiday Pay Equal Normal Pay?
Holiday entitlement and holiday pay are related but are not exactly the same.
For regular-hours workers, holiday pay is generally based on the worker's normal pay. Workers with variable pay or irregular hours may require an average-pay calculation.
GOV.UK explains that holiday pay rules can differ depending on contract type and working pattern.
Therefore, knowing that you have 20 days of holiday does not automatically tell you the exact amount you will receive while taking leave.
Pro Rata Holiday Example
Suppose you work three days each week and receive the statutory minimum.
3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days
If you have already taken eight days:
16.8 − 8 = 8.8 days
You would have an estimated 8.8 days remaining.
Now suppose you started halfway through the leave year:
16.8 × 50% = 8.4 days
Your estimated entitlement for the remaining half would be 8.4 days before considering leave already taken.
What Information Do You Need?
To calculate holiday entitlement, gather:
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Your working days or hours
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Your annual contractual holiday allowance
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Your full-time working pattern, if relevant
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Your employment start date
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Your leave year dates
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Holiday already taken
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Whether your hours are regular or irregular
These details help you choose the appropriate calculation method.
Why Use a Holiday Calculator?
Manual calculations are easy when your working pattern is fixed, but they become harder when hours change or employment begins or ends during the year.
A calculator can help estimate:
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Full-year holiday entitlement
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Part-time holiday allowance
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Remaining annual leave
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Mid-year entitlement
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Holiday based on working hours
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Different working patterns
It also lets you compare scenarios without repeating calculations manually.
Final Answer
For a regular part-time worker, the basic statutory calculation is:
Working days per week × 5.6 = Annual holiday entitlement
For example:
3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days
If you start or leave part way through the leave year, entitlement may need adjustment according to the period worked. Irregular-hours and part-year workers have specific rules, so the simple calculation should not automatically be applied to everyone.
A Pro Rata Holiday Calculator can provide a quick estimate, while your employment contract and applicable UK rules should be checked for the final figure.
1. What is pro rata holiday?
Pro rata holiday is annual leave calculated according to your working pattern or the part of the leave year you work.
2. How much holiday does a three-day worker get?
A regular three-day worker is generally entitled to 16.8 days of statutory holiday for a full leave year.
3. Can bank holidays be included?
Yes. Bank holidays can form part of statutory annual leave entitlement.
4. Can holiday be calculated in hours?
Yes. Hours can be used where they better reflect an employee's working pattern.
5. What is 12.07% holiday accrual?
For eligible irregular-hours and part-year workers, 12.07% of hours worked in a pay period can be used to calculate statutory holiday accrual for relevant leave years.
