Pro Rata Holiday Calculator
Part-time workers get a proportionate share of the statutory 5.6 weeks. The calculator below applies the rule to your specific pattern, including mid-year joiners and leavers.
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.
The pro rata rule
Every UK worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid leave a year. A part-time worker's week is just shorter than a full-time worker's week — so they still get 5.6 weeks, with each week containing fewer days.
The arithmetic is direct: days worked per week multiplied by 5.6. Three days a week gives 16.8 days a year; four days, 22.4. The statutory cap of 28 days only applies to workers doing five days or more — so the 5.6-week multiplier is a real proportionate calculation for everyone below that.
Common part-time patterns
| Days per week | Statutory minimum (days) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5.6 |
| 2 | 11.2 |
| 2.5 | 14 |
| 3 | 16.8 |
| 3.5 | 19.6 |
| 4 | 22.4 |
| 4.5 | 25.2 |
| 5 | 28 |
Assumes the contract treats bank holidays as inclusive of the entitlement. If bank holidays are on top, add them separately for each working day the bank holiday falls on.
Bank holidays for part-time workers
This is where many employers get tripped up. Part-time workers cannot be disadvantaged by working a pattern that misses bank holidays. Two lawful approaches:
- Inclusive. The 5.6 × days-per-week figure is the total. The worker books their leave freely across the year and takes time off on bank holidays if they fall on a working day.
- Allocated bank holidays + top-up. The worker takes time off on bank holidays that fall on their working days. To equalise with a five-day worker who gets all eight, they receive a pro-rata top-up for the bank holidays that fall on their non-working days.
Either approach is legal. The contract should make clear which one applies — silent contracts are a common source of dispute.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate pro-rata holiday for a part-time worker?+
Multiply the standard weekly working pattern by 5.6 weeks. For three days a week that is 16.8 days a year; for four days, 22.4. The 28-day statutory cap is what a five-day worker gets — part-time workers receive a proportionate share.
What if a bank holiday falls on a day a part-time worker doesn't normally work?+
Two approaches are both legal. Some employers count bank holidays as part of the pro-rata entitlement, leaving the worker free to book leave on any day. Others give bank holidays only when they fall on the worker's contractual days, plus a pro-rata top-up. The contract should say which applies.
How do you pro-rata for a mid-year joiner?+
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 in favour of the worker.
Can a contract give a part-time worker fewer than 5.6 weeks?+
No. 5.6 weeks is a statutory minimum. The part-time worker's weeks should match the full-time worker's weeks; only the days within those weeks are pro-rata.