Holiday pay calculator
Work out UK holiday pay for a day or a week off, for workers on fixed pay, variable hours or rolled-up holiday pay.
How the worker is paid
Regular hours and the same basic pay each week.
Pay
Before tax.
A day's holiday pay is a week's pay split over these days.
Holiday
Holiday pay a day
£115.38
£576.92 a week ÷ 5 days
- A week off
- £576.92
- Statutory days
- 28
- A year
- £3,230.77
Pay for 5 days off
£576.92
- Basic pay a week
- £576.92
- 5 days at
- £115.38
What is holiday pay?
Almost all workers in the UK are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year, and to a week’s pay for each week of that leave they take. Holiday pay should be what the worker would normally have earned if they had been at work, so they are not worse off for taking time off.
How to calculate holiday pay
A day’s holiday pay = a week’s pay ÷ days worked a week
For someone on regular hours and fixed pay, a week’s pay is their normal weekly pay. A yearly salary is divided by 52, and a monthly salary is multiplied by 12 and then divided by 52. Someone on £30,000 a year working 5 days a week gets £576.92 a week, so £115.38 for each day of holiday.
Holiday pay by salary
Holiday pay before tax for a full-time worker on a 5-day week, with 28 days of statutory leave:
| Yearly salary | A day | A week | 28 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £76.92 | £384.62 | £2,153.85 |
| £25,000 | £96.15 | £480.77 | £2,692.31 |
| £30,000 | £115.38 | £576.92 | £3,230.77 |
| £35,000 | £134.62 | £673.08 | £3,769.23 |
| £40,000 | £153.85 | £769.23 | £4,307.69 |
| £50,000 | £192.31 | £961.54 | £5,384.62 |
| £60,000 | £230.77 | £1,153.85 | £6,461.54 |
Overtime, commission and bonuses
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, holiday pay for the first 4 weeks of leave must include more than basic pay:
- regular overtime, including voluntary overtime
- commission and performance bonuses
- allowances linked to the job, such as shift or seniority pay
The other 1.6 weeks can be paid at basic pay, though employers can choose to pay extras on all of it. Regular extras are usually averaged over the last 52 paid weeks. A one-off payment, such as overtime worked once to cover an emergency, does not count.
Variable hours and pay
When hours or pay change from week to week, a week’s holiday pay is the average weekly pay over a reference period:
A week’s holiday pay = pay in the last 52 paid weeks ÷ 52
Only weeks in which the worker was paid count. If they were not paid in some weeks, earlier weeks are counted instead, going back no more than 104 weeks. Someone who has worked for less than 52 weeks has their pay averaged over the weeks they have worked. If holiday is taken in hours, divide the same pay by the hours worked to get an hourly rate.
Rolled-up holiday pay
For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, employers can pay irregular-hours and part-year workers holiday pay with their wages each pay period, instead of when they take leave:
Rolled-up holiday pay = pay for the pay period × 12.07%
A worker paid £1,000 for the hours they worked in a month gets £120.70 in holiday pay on top, shown as its own line on the payslip. They are not paid again when they take the leave. Workers on regular hours must still be paid holiday pay when they take their leave.
How this calculator counts
- It follows the UK statutory minimum. Contracts can pay more, for example by including extras on all leave.
- A week’s pay is split evenly across the days worked. Some employers divide a salary by working days in the year instead, which gives a slightly different day rate.
- With regular extras, holiday is paid at the higher rate until the first 4 weeks of the year’s leave are used.
- Pay is shown before Income Tax and National Insurance.
- To work out how much leave someone gets, use the holiday entitlement calculator, or the pro rata holiday calculator for part-time staff and leavers.
Based on gov.uk guidance on holiday pay. Use this calculator for planning, and check the worker’s contract and current guidance for anything unusual.
Frequently asked questions
How is holiday pay calculated in the UK?
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Workers get a week’s pay for each week of statutory leave they take. For someone on regular hours and fixed pay, a week’s pay is their normal weekly pay, and a day’s holiday pay is that split over the days they work in a week. Someone on £30,000 a year working 5 days a week gets £576.92 a week, or £115.38 a day.
Does holiday pay include overtime?
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For leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, pay for the first 4 weeks of leave must include regular overtime, commission, bonuses and similar payments, as well as basic pay. The remaining 1.6 weeks of statutory leave can be paid at basic pay. Overtime counts if it is worked regularly enough to be part of normal pay.
How do you calculate holiday pay for variable hours?
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Take the average weekly pay over the last 52 weeks the worker was paid. Weeks with no pay are left out and replaced by earlier weeks, going back no more than 104 weeks. If they have worked for less than 52 weeks, average over the weeks they have been paid.
What is rolled-up holiday pay?
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Rolled-up holiday pay is paid on top of normal pay in every pay period instead of when leave is taken. It is only allowed for irregular-hours and part-year workers in leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024, worked out at 12.07% of the pay for the period, and must be shown as its own line on the payslip.
Do I get paid for unused holiday when I leave a job?
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Yes. When someone leaves, they are paid for any statutory leave they have built up but not taken, at their normal holiday pay rate. Use the pro rata holiday calculator to work out how much leave they are owed first.
Is holiday pay taxed?
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Yes. Holiday pay is paid through payroll like normal pay, so Income Tax and National Insurance are taken off in the usual way. This calculator shows pay before tax.