Irregular hours holiday accrual calculator
For workers with irregular hours or who work only part of the year, paid holiday builds up as they work, at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period. The 12.07% figure is the statutory 5.6 weeks of holiday divided by the 46.4 working weeks left in the year. So 80 hours worked accrues about 9.66 hours of holiday. If holiday is rolled up, the pay is the accrued hours multiplied by the hourly rate. This is the GOV.UK method under the Working Time Regulations 1998, as amended for leave years from April 2024. It is general information, not employment advice.
Enter the hours worked in the pay period to see the holiday accrued in hours and days, and add an hourly rate to see the rolled-up holiday pay.
How this is worked out
For irregular-hours and part-year workers, paid holiday builds up as you work, at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period.
accrued holiday hours = hours worked × 12.07%
12.07% = 5.6 weeks ÷ (52 weeks − 5.6 weeks)
holiday pay (if rolled up) = accrued holiday hours × hourly rate
5.6 weeks is the statutory minimum; the 46.4 working weeks are the rest of the year
This is the GOV.UK method for irregular-hours and part-year workers under the Working Time Regulations 1998, as amended for leave years from April 2024. Employers may pay this as rolled-up holiday pay with each payslip. This is general information, not employment advice: check your contract and gov.uk.
For set-hours workers, use the statutory holiday entitlement calculator, and for the rules in full see the guide on UK holiday entitlement.
Source: GOV.UK holiday entitlement and the Working Time Regulations 1998, as amended for leave years from April 2024. General information, not employment advice.
Common questions
How is holiday worked out for irregular hours?
For workers with irregular hours or who work only part of the year, paid holiday builds up as they work, at 12.07% of the hours worked in each pay period. So 80 hours worked accrues about 9.66 hours of holiday.
Where does the 12.07% figure come from?
It is the statutory 5.6 weeks of holiday divided by the 46.4 working weeks left in the year, which is 52 weeks minus the 5.6 weeks of leave. That ratio works out at 12.07%. It is the GOV.UK method under the Working Time Regulations 1998.
What is rolled-up holiday pay?
Rolled-up holiday pay is holiday pay added to each payslip as you earn it, rather than paid when you take leave. For irregular-hours and part-year workers this became allowed again for leave years from April 2024 under the amended Working Time Regulations.
Does the 12.07% method apply to me?
The 12.07% method is the GOV.UK approach for workers with genuinely irregular hours or who work only part of the year. If you work set hours each week, use the statutory holiday entitlement calculator instead. This is general information, not employment advice: check your contract and gov.uk.
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Editor, Dates & Times
Oliver Mackman is the named editor of Dates & Times and a director of Best Business Loans Ltd (Companies House 16833937), the company that operates the site. He is accountable for its editorial standards, sourcing and corrections, and requires every result to cite the underlying date maths and the official UK source behind it, such as the gov.uk Bank Holidays API.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026