Ensuring that your business complies with UK holiday entitlement regulations is not only a legal necessity but also a key component of fostering a positive working environment. For part-time employees, understanding how to calculate holiday entitlement can seem complex, particularly when considering bank holidays and additional company holidays. This free holiday entitlement calculator aims to simplify the process, helping you accurately work out annual leave entitlement for your part-time staff.
What is holiday entitlement?
Holiday entitlement, also known as statutory leave entitlement or annual leave, is the legal minimum amount of paid leave that most workers are entitled to in the UK. Full-time employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid holiday per year, which can include bank holidays. For part-time employees, this entitlement is pro-rated.
Calculating holiday entitlement for part-time employees
Part-time employees have the same holiday rights as full-time employees, calculated on a pro-rata basis. This ensures fairness and compliance with employment law, regardless of the number of hours worked per week. Here’s how you can calculate holiday entitlement for your part-time staff:
- Determine the full-time holiday entitlement: This includes both the statutory entitlement of 28 days and any additional days provided by your company. Remember, in the UK, the number of statutory bank holidays can vary (e.g., 8 days in England and Wales, 9 days in Scotland).
- Calculate the pro-rata entitlement: Divide the full-time holiday entitlement by the number of days a full-time employee works per week (usually five). Multiply this by the number of days a week the part-time employee works. This calculation will give you the pro-rated holiday entitlement for your part-time employees.
- Consider bank holidays: For part-time employees who do not work on days when bank holidays are usually granted, you may need to include these days in their pro-rated holiday entitlement, ensuring they are not disadvantaged by their working pattern.
Using the holiday entitlement calculator
To streamline the process of calculating holiday entitlement for your part-time employees, this web page features a dedicated holiday entitlement calculator. By inputting the relevant data, including the number of bank holidays, additional holiday days for full-time employees, and the number of days per week the part-time employee works, the calculator will provide you with the pro-rated holiday entitlement quickly and accurately.
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To provide clarity and assist with understanding how holiday entitlement for part-time employees is calculated, below is a table of pre-calculated examples. These examples assume the standard statutory entitlement of 28 days for full-time employees, including bank holidays, and illustrate various scenarios based on the number of days a week a part-time employee works.
| Number of Days Worked Per Week | Full-time Entitlement (days) | Bank Holidays (England and Wales) | Pro-rated Entitlement for Part-time (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (Full-time) | 20 | 8 | 28 |
| 4 | 20 | 8 | 22.4 |
| 3 | 20 | 8 | 16.8 |
| 2 | 20 | 8 | 11.2 |
| 1 | 20 | 8 | 5.6 |
- Number of Days Worked Per Week: The number of days a part-time employee works per week.
- Full-time Entitlement (days): The statutory holiday entitlement for full-time employees, not including bank holidays.
- Bank Holidays (England and Wales): The standard number of bank holidays in England and Wales used for this calculation.
- Total Entitlement for Full-time (days): The total number of holiday days a full-time employee would receive, including statutory, bank holidays, and additional company holidays.
- Pro-rated Entitlement for Part-time (days): The holiday entitlement for a part-time employee, calculated on a pro-rata basis depending on their working days per week.
Calculation method:
To calculate the pro-rated entitlement for part-time employees, the formula used is:
( (B + A) ÷ 5 ) ) x P
Where:
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- B is the number of bank holiday days for full-time employees
- A is the number of additional holiday days provided by the company to full-time employees
- N is the number of days per week that your part-time employee works
So spelled out in full, this looks like:
( (Number of bank holiday days for full-time employees, per year) + (Number of additional holiday days that your full-time employees get per year) ) ÷ 5 ) x (Number of days that your part-time employee works per week)
This table serves as a guide to understanding how varying working patterns affect holiday entitlement. Employers should adjust the calculations based on the actual number of bank holidays and additional company holidays offered, as these can vary.
Key considerations
- Record keeping: It’s important to maintain accurate records of holiday entitlement and take for all employees, including part-time staff. This helps prevent disputes and ensures compliance with legal requirements.
- Company policies: Your company’s holiday policy should clearly outline how holiday entitlement is calculated, including provisions for part-time employees and how bank holidays are treated.
- Communication: Ensure that all employees understand their holiday entitlement and how it is calculated. Clear communication can help manage expectations and foster a positive workplace culture.
Closing words – Annual leave calculator
Calculating holiday entitlement for part-time employees doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right tools and understanding of the regulations, you can ensure that your business remains compliant while supporting the well-being of all your employees. Our holiday entitlement calculator is designed to assist you in this process, making it straightforward and hassle-free to determine the correct holiday entitlement for your part-time workforce.
FAQ for holiday entitlement calculator
When an employee starts or leaves their position part-way through the holiday year, their holiday entitlement should be calculated on a pro-rata basis. This means the entitlement will be proportional to the amount of the holiday year they have worked. For example, if they work for six months, they are entitled to half of their annual holiday entitlement.
Whether employees can carry over unused holiday depends on your company’s policy. Legally, employees can carry over up to four weeks of unused statutory holiday into the next holiday year under specific conditions, such as sickness or maternity leave. Any additional holiday above the statutory entitlement is subject to the terms outlined in your company’s holiday policy.
If an employee’s status changes from full-time to part-time during the year, you’ll need to adjust their holiday entitlement pro-rata for the remainder of the holiday year. This adjustment should take into account the proportion of the year they worked under each contract, ensuring their total holiday entitlement accurately reflects their new working pattern.
Yes, bank holidays can be included within the statutory holiday entitlement of 5.6 weeks (28 days) per year. Whether bank holidays are part of an employee’s holiday entitlement depends on the terms of their employment contract. Some employers may choose to offer bank holidays in addition to the statutory entitlement, while others may include them within the 28 days.
For employees who work irregular hours or are on zero-hour contracts, holiday entitlement should be calculated based on the average number of hours worked over a 52-week period. If the employee has worked less than a full year, the average should be taken from the total weeks they have worked.
Yes, as an employer, you can refuse holiday requests, provided you give the employee notice equal to at least twice the length of the requested leave (e.g., two weeks’ notice for a one-week holiday). Refusals are typically justified during peak business periods but should be managed carefully to ensure employees can take their holiday at another time.
If an employee is sick and cannot take their planned holiday, they have the right to carry over up to four weeks of their statutory holiday entitlement to the next holiday year. You should require the employee to follow your company’s sickness notification procedure, which may include providing evidence of their illness, such as a doctor’s note.
These FAQs are designed to address common concerns employers may have regarding holiday entitlement for part-time employees. For specific situations or further advice, it may be beneficial to consult with an employment law specialist or refer to official guidance from the UK government or relevant employment bodies.