Reviewed for UK readers: September 2026.
For a regular-hours part-time worker employed throughout the leave year, statutory annual leave is normally expressed as 5.6 weeks. A three-day-per-week worker therefore gets at least 16.8 days of statutory leave: 3 × 5.6. Salary is a separate calculation, which you can estimate with our UK pro rata calculator.
Employers can offer more than the statutory minimum, and bank holidays can be included within the total, so the employment contract still matters.
Quick answer
- Regular 3-day week: 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days.
- Regular 4-day week: 4 × 5.6 = 22.4 days.
- Five-day workers usually receive at least 28 statutory days.
- Irregular-hours and part-year workers use different current accrual rules.
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Regular-hours workers
For someone who works the same number of days each week for the full leave year, multiply weekly working days by 5.6. If working hours vary by day, an hours-based allowance is often clearer: weekly hours × 5.6.
If the contract gives more than the statutory minimum
Suppose full-time employees receive 30 days including bank holidays. A worker at 0.6 FTE might receive an equivalent 18 full-time days under a straight pro rata contractual scheme, but confirm the employer’s policy because additional contractual leave can have its own rules.
Irregular-hours and part-year workers
Current rules use an accrual approach for irregular-hours and part-year workers. GOV.UK states that entitlement is 12.07% of hours worked in a pay period under the current method. Do not apply the simple “days × 5.6” method to every irregular-hours case.
Starting or leaving part way through the leave year
When employment begins or ends during the leave year, entitlement must also reflect the proportion of the leave year worked or leave accrued. GOV.UK provides an official holiday entitlement calculator for these situations.
Bank holidays
There is no requirement for paid bank holidays to be separate from statutory leave. If the workplace closes on bank holidays, the employer’s policy should explain whether those days are deducted from the employee’s overall allowance.
How to calculate holiday entitlement for part-time workers, step by step
- Check that you work the same pattern each week for the whole leave year. If not, see the irregular-hours section above.
- Multiply the days you work each week by 5.6. If your days differ in length, multiply your weekly hours by 5.6 instead.
- Cap the result at 28 days. Working a six-day week still gives 28 days.
- If your contract gives full-time staff more than 28 days, multiply that full-time figure by your days ÷ full-time days and use whichever result is higher.
- Check whether your employer counts bank holidays within your holiday. If so, take them out of the total to see what is left to book.
Worked example: Priya works three 7.5-hour days a week. The statutory minimum is 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days, or 126 hours. Her contract gives full-time staff 30 days including bank holidays, so her pro rata contractual figure is 30 × 3 ÷ 5 = 18 days. The contract figure is higher, so she gets 18 days.
Holiday entitlement by days worked per week
| Days worked per week | Calculation | Statutory holiday | In hours (7.5-hour days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 1 × 5.6 | 5.6 days | 42 hours |
| 2 days | 2 × 5.6 | 11.2 days | 84 hours |
| 3 days | 3 × 5.6 | 16.8 days | 126 hours |
| 4 days | 4 × 5.6 | 22.4 days | 168 hours |
| 5 days | 5 × 5.6 | 28 days | 210 hours |
For more patterns, use the pro rata holiday entitlement calculator, or see holiday entitlement for 2, 3 or 4 days a week.
Before relying on a holiday calculation
Confirm the leave year dates, whether you work regular or irregular hours, whether you work only part of the year, and whether bank holidays sit inside or outside the stated allowance. These details can change the correct statutory or contractual method.
Where employment starts or ends part way through a leave year, or the pattern is irregular, use the current GOV.UK holiday calculator as a cross-check. Keep the employer’s written holiday policy because contractual leave above the statutory minimum can follow separate rules.
More holiday calculators
- Pro rata holiday entitlement calculator – days and hours for any part-time pattern
- 5.6 weeks holiday entitlement calculator – turn 5.6 weeks into days and hours
- 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
To turn holiday days into money, use the pro rata salary calculator to find your daily rate.
Frequently asked questions
How much annual leave does a 3-day worker get?
The statutory minimum for a regular three-day week is 16.8 days a year, unless a different method is required for the worker’s pattern.
How much annual leave does a 4-day worker get?
The statutory minimum for a regular four-day week is 22.4 days a year.
Can annual leave be calculated in hours?
Yes, and hours are often easier where working days have different lengths.
Do bank holidays come on top of 5.6 weeks?
Not automatically. An employer can include bank holidays within statutory annual leave.
What is the formula for part-time holiday entitlement?
Weekly days worked × 5.6, or weekly hours worked × 5.6, with a maximum of 28 days.
Can my employer round my holiday down?
Your holiday cannot be less than the statutory minimum, so any rounding should not take you below it. Many employers round up to the nearest half day or hour.
How do I calculate holiday if I work different days each week?
Use hours. Multiply your average weekly hours by 5.6 to get holiday hours, then book leave in hours. If your hours are irregular, the 12.07% accrual rules apply instead.
Authoritative sources
This article is general information, not personalised legal, tax or payroll advice. Employment contracts, collective agreements and individual circumstances can change the correct result.