Holiday Pay Calculator for New Joiners

Started mid-year? Your first leave year's entitlement is pro-rated. Enter your joining date below to see the figure.

What type of worker are you?

Regular full-timeSame hours every week, usually 5 days.Regular part-timeSame hours every week, fewer than 5 days.Irregular / zero-hoursHours vary week to week.Part-year (e.g. term-time)Contracted to work only part of the year.

Days worked per week

Hours per week (optional)

Your contract treats bank holidays as…

Region

Mid-year joiner, leaver, or above-statutory entitlement

Contractual days/year (above 28)

Leave year start

Joining date (mid-year only)

Leaving date (mid-year only)

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 it's calculated

For new joiners, the entitlement in your first year is your contractual annual figure multiplied by the proportion of the leave year you'll work. So if you start halfway through, you get roughly half the annual entitlement.

ACAS recommend rounding up to the nearest half-day in the worker's favour to avoid disputes. Some contracts specify different rounding (nearest whole day, or to two decimal places) — read the leave clause carefully.

Worked example

Annual entitlement 28 days, leave year 1 April to 31 March, joining 1 October.

Days remaining in leave year: 182 (Oct 31 + Nov 30 + Dec 31 + Jan 31 + Feb 28 + Mar 31).

Pro rata: 28 × (182 ÷ 365) = 13.96 days. Rounded up to 14 daysin the worker's favour.

Probation and leave

Some employers restrict when leave can be taken during a probation period. Restrictions on whenare negotiable; the days themselves are statutory and cannot be reduced. If your contract says you can't take holiday in the first three months, you still accrue it — and can take it after probation ends.

Frequently asked questions

How is my first-year holiday calculated as a new starter?+

Take the annual entitlement and multiply by (days remaining in the leave year ÷ total days in the leave year). ACAS recommends rounding up to the nearest half-day so you're never worse off.

Can my employer require me to use accrued leave before my probation period ends?+

Some employers limit leave during probation but cannot reduce your statutory entitlement. Restrictions on when you can take it are negotiable but the days themselves are protected.