Annual leave

What annual leave means

Almost all UK workers are entitled to paid holiday. The statutory entitlement is usually 5.6 weeks a year, which is 28 days for someone who works a regular five-day week. Part-time workers receive the same 5.6 weeks based on their own working pattern.

An employer can offer more than the statutory minimum. The employment terms or holiday policy should say when the leave year starts, how people request time off, how bank holidays are treated and whether any unused leave can carry over.

When the calculation changes

Starters, leavers and people whose hours change need a part-year calculation. Irregular-hours and part-year workers have separate statutory rules, including an accrual method for leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024. Use the current GOV.UK holiday guidance for the person's circumstances rather than relying on a standard days-per-year figure.

Holiday pay also needs care. Depending on the worker's hours and pay, the calculation may need to include regular overtime, commission or other payments linked to the work they normally do.

Keep a reliable leave record

Keep the person's working pattern, allowance, leave taken, holiday pay, carry-over and any adjustments together. Record changes when they happen, not at the end of the leave year when the detail is harder to reconstruct.

For records made on or after 6 April 2026, employers in Great Britain must keep adequate records showing compliance with statutory holiday entitlement and holiday pay for at least six years from the date each record was made. Acas sets out what the record must cover. This record-keeping change does not apply in Northern Ireland. A clear record helps the person understand their balance and gives payroll the information it needs.