Reviewed for UK readers: November 2026.
Almost every worker in the UK is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For a five-day week that is 28 days, but the number of days and hours changes with the way you work. Use the calculator to turn 5.6 weeks into days and hours for your own working pattern.
This calculator needs JavaScript. Please enable it to use it.
Quick answer
- Holiday entitlement = the days you work each week × 5.6.
- 5 days a week gives 28 days, which is also the legal maximum.
- 4 days a week gives 22.4 days, 3 days gives 16.8 days and 2 days gives 11.2 days.
- In hours, multiply your weekly hours by 5.6. A 37.5-hour week gives 210 hours.
What does 5.6 weeks of holiday mean?
The statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks of paid holiday in each leave year. A “week” of holiday is the time you normally work in a week. If you work three days a week, one week of holiday is three days. If you work 22.5 hours a week, it is 22.5 hours. That is why part-time workers get fewer days than full-time staff but the same amount of time off in proportion.
GOV.UK says almost everyone classed as a worker has this right, including part-time, agency and zero-hours workers. Genuinely self-employed people do not.
How to calculate 5.6 weeks in days
Multiply the number of days you work each week by 5.6.
- 5 days × 5.6 = 28 days
- 4 days × 5.6 = 22.4 days
- 3 days × 5.6 = 16.8 days
- 2 days × 5.6 = 11.2 days
The table covers other patterns, including half days. The hours column assumes a 7.5-hour working day.
| Days worked per week | Calculation | Statutory minimum | In hours (7.5 hours a day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 × 5.6 = 5.6 | 5.6 days | 42 hours |
| 1.5 | 1.5 × 5.6 = 8.4 | 8.4 days | 63 hours |
| 2 | 2 × 5.6 = 11.2 | 11.2 days | 84 hours |
| 2.5 | 2.5 × 5.6 = 14 | 14 days | 105 hours |
| 3 | 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 | 16.8 days | 126 hours |
| 3.5 | 3.5 × 5.6 = 19.6 | 19.6 days | 147 hours |
| 4 | 4 × 5.6 = 22.4 | 22.4 days | 168 hours |
| 4.5 | 4.5 × 5.6 = 25.2 | 25.2 days | 189 hours |
| 5 | 5 × 5.6 = 28 | 28 days | 210 hours |
| 6 (cap applies) | 6 × 5.6 = 33.6 | 28 days | 210 hours |
| 7 (cap applies) | 7 × 5.6 = 39.2 | 28 days | 210 hours |
How to calculate 5.6 weeks in hours
If your employer records holiday in hours, multiply your weekly hours by 5.6. This is useful when your days are different lengths, because it avoids arguments about what counts as “a day”. Our annual leave calculator in hours goes into more detail.
| Hours worked per week | Calculation | Statutory holiday in hours |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours | 10 × 5.6 | 56 hours |
| 12 hours | 12 × 5.6 | 67.2 hours |
| 15 hours | 15 × 5.6 | 84 hours |
| 16 hours | 16 × 5.6 | 89.6 hours |
| 18 hours | 18 × 5.6 | 100.8 hours |
| 20 hours | 20 × 5.6 | 112 hours |
| 22.5 hours | 22.5 × 5.6 | 126 hours |
| 24 hours | 24 × 5.6 | 134.4 hours |
| 25 hours | 25 × 5.6 | 140 hours |
| 30 hours | 30 × 5.6 | 168 hours |
| 32 hours | 32 × 5.6 | 179.2 hours |
| 35 hours | 35 × 5.6 | 196 hours |
| 37.5 hours | 37.5 × 5.6 | 210 hours |
| 40 hours | 40 × 5.6 | 224 hours |
Why 28 days is the maximum
Statutory holiday is limited to 28 days. Someone working six days a week would get 33.6 days on the formula (6 × 5.6), but the entitlement stops at 28 days, and GOV.UK uses the same example. If your contract promises more than 28 days, the extra is leave your employer has chosen to give you.
Do bank holidays count towards the 5.6 weeks?
There is no legal right to paid bank holidays. Employers can count them as part of your 5.6 weeks or give them on top. If your employer includes them, 28 days for a full-time worker means 20 days to book yourself plus 8 bank holidays in England and Wales. Part-time staff get a pro rata share, for example 4.8 bank holidays for a three-day week (8 × 3 ÷ 5). Try the pro rata bank holiday calculator to see which bank holidays fall on your working days.
Irregular hours and part-year workers
If you do not work set hours, or only work part of the year, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work instead. The figure is 5.6 weeks divided by the 46.4 weeks that remain once leave is taken out of the year. For example, 30 hours worked builds up 3.621 hours of holiday, which GOV.UK rounds to 4 hours. This applies to leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024. See our irregular hours holiday pay calculator and the zero-hours holiday pay guide.
Starting or leaving part way through the year
In your first year you normally build up one twelfth of your annual holiday at the start of each month. When you leave, you are paid for any holiday you have built up but not taken. Use the mid-year starter calculator or the accrued holiday pay calculator for leavers.
Can my employer give me less, or round my holiday down?
Your contract can give you more than 5.6 weeks, and many employers round up to the nearest half day or hour to make leave easier to record. They cannot give you less than 5.6 weeks for a full leave year. If your payslip or holiday record shows fewer days than the calculator, ask your employer to explain how they reached the figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is 5.6 weeks holiday in days?
It depends on how many days you work each week. Multiply by 5.6: five days gives 28 days, four days gives 22.4, three days gives 16.8 and two days gives 11.2. The most anyone can get under the statutory minimum is 28 days.
Is 5.6 weeks the same as 28 days?
Only if you work five days a week. 28 days is 5.6 weeks × 5 days. A part-time worker gets the same 5.6 weeks, which is fewer days.
How many hours is 5.6 weeks of holiday?
Multiply your weekly hours by 5.6. A 37.5-hour week gives 210 hours, a 20-hour week gives 112 hours and a 16-hour week gives 89.6 hours.
Does 5.6 weeks include bank holidays?
It can. There is no right to paid bank holidays, so employers may count them within the 5.6 weeks or give them as extra leave. Check your contract.
How much is 5.6 weeks holiday for a 4-day week?
4 × 5.6 = 22.4 days. In hours, with 7.5-hour days, that is 168 hours.
What if I work more than five days a week?
The statutory entitlement is limited to 28 days. A six-day week would give 33.6 days on the formula, but the cap applies.
Is 5.6 weeks a legal minimum?
Yes. It is the statutory minimum for workers. Your contract can give you more but not less.
More holiday calculators
- How to calculate holiday entitlement for part-time workers – the step-by-step formula
- Pro rata holiday entitlement calculator – days and hours for any part-time pattern
- Annual leave calculator in hours – holiday in hours for 10 to 40 hour weeks
- Holiday entitlement for 2, 3 or 4 days a week – tables and worked examples
- Pro rata bank holidays calculator – which bank holidays fall on your working days
- Zero-hours holiday pay calculator – 12.07% accrual and rolled-up pay
- Irregular hours holiday pay calculator – 12.07% for irregular and part-year workers
- Mid-year starter holiday calculator – holiday in your first year
- Accrued holiday pay calculator for leavers – what you are owed when you leave