Holiday Accrual Calculator (12.07%)
For irregular-hours and part-year workers, paid leave accrues at 12.07% of hours worked. Enter your hours below to see the balance.
Mid-year joiner, leaver, or above-statutory entitlement
Your entitlement
28 days(210 hours)
Annual entitlement. Statutory minimum is 28 days.
5 days per week × 5.6 weeks (statutory minimum) = 28 days per year Your contract treats bank holidays as part of this total — book them as you would any other day off.
How the 12.07% rate works
The Working Time Regulations give every UK worker 5.6 weeks of paid leave each year. A working year is 52 weeks, but a worker is only ever available for 46.4 of them (the other 5.6 are leave). The ratio 5.6 ÷ 46.4 = 0.1207, or 12.07%.
For workers whose hours genuinely vary week to week — most zero-hours workers, casual staff, term-time-only employees — multiplying the hours actually worked by 12.07% gives the equivalent hours of paid leave. It produces the same total over a full working year as the 5.6-weeks-per-year rule, just expressed as a running accrual.
When 12.07% applies
Since 1 April 2024 the 12.07% accrual method applies to two specific worker types:
- Irregular-hours workers — those whose paid hours are wholly or mostly variable under their contract. Zero-hours contracts almost always fall into this category.
- Part-year workers — those contracted to work only part of the year, such as term-time-only staff, summer-season workers, and Christmas casuals.
For everyone else — anyone with a regular weekly pattern, whether full-time or part-time — entitlement remains 5.6 × days-per-week (capped at 28). Don't apply the 12.07% method to regular workers; it's not lawful.
Frequently asked questions
Who counts as an irregular-hours worker?+
Anyone whose paid hours are wholly or mostly variable from one week to the next under their contract. This includes most zero-hours workers, casual workers, and shift workers without a fixed pattern.
How is the accrual added up?+
Each pay period, multiply the hours worked by 0.1207. The result is hours of paid holiday accrued for that period. Total it up over the leave year for the worker's running balance.
Can rolled-up holiday pay replace booked time off?+
Yes for irregular-hours and part-year workers, post-April 2024. The 12.07% uplift is paid on each payslip and the worker takes time off without further payment. The uplift must be itemised separately on the payslip.
What if I work some regular hours and some irregular hours?+
Mixed working patterns are common but legally awkward. The safer default is to treat the worker as regular if they have a contractual normal pattern, and only fall back to 12.07% accrual when hours are genuinely unpredictable. Take advice if in doubt.