Employees have the right to 'statutory annual leave' (paid holiday).
This is the case whether they work:
- full time
- part time
- under a zero-hours contract
The number of days' holiday someone gets depends on:
- how many days or hours they work
- any extra agreements they have with their employer
Employees 'accrue' (build up) holiday from the day they start working, including when they're on:
- a probationary period
- sick leave
- maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave
Statutory paid holiday
By law, employees are entitled to 5.6 weeks' statutory paid holiday a year. Bank holidays might be included in this paid holiday. Employees should check their contract if they're not sure.
The amount of time off someone gets depends on their circumstances.
Statutory paid holiday is limited to 28 days. For example, if someone works 6 days a week they're still only entitled to 28 days' paid holiday.
Part time
Employees who work part time are still entitled to 5.6 weeks' statutory paid holiday. The entitlement will be in proportion to the hours they work. This is because part-time workers cannot be treated less favourably than full-time workers.
If an employer gives full-time employees more paid holiday than the legal minimum, they must give part-time employees more than the legal minimum.
If someone is employed for less than a year
An employee is entitled to a proportion of a full year's holiday entitlement if their employment contract:
- lasts for less than a year
- ends part way through a holiday year
Irregular hours workers and part-year workers
There are specific rules about holiday for irregular hours workers and part-year workers.
Find out more about holiday for irregular hours workers and part-year workers
Holiday for someone who is self-employed
Someone who is self-employed is not usually entitled to paid holiday.
However, contractors or freelancers working through an agency should check their employment status. Their employment status will affect what they're entitled to.
Enhanced or contractual holiday
It might be written in the contract that an employee gets more than statutory holiday entitlement. This can be called 'enhanced' or 'contractual' holiday entitlement.
Holiday that's less than a full day
An employee's holiday entitlement might include 'part days'. For example, someone might get 11.2 days of holiday because they work work 2 days a week. The employee should ask their employer how to use the part day.
For example, an employee could agree with their employer to leave early or come in late to use the part day.
Employers cannot round down part days. During the first year of employment, employers must round up part days to the nearest half day. After that, they can choose to round them up, but they do not have to.
Holiday calculator
To work out how much holiday someone gets, use the holiday calculator on GOV.UK.
If someone's not sure how much holiday they should get
If an employee is not sure what their holiday entitlement is, they can:
- talk with their manager, someone in HR or their employer
- check their written statement of employment particulars
Contact the Acas helpline
If you have any questions about holiday entitlement, you can contact the Acas helpline.