How do I calculate my part-time employee’s holiday entitlement?

Is holiday entitlement calculated differently for part-time employees?

No. Full-time employees are legally entitled to 28 days (5.6 weeks) paid holiday each year minimum, and this can include bank holidays. Part-time employees are entitled to 28 days’ paid holiday, just in proportion to the hours they work.

What about bank holidays?

If the contract provision states the employer normally closes on bank holidays, then the part-time employees will use some of their paid leave on the bank holidays that fall on days they would usually be working. If they have a work pattern that means not many bank holidays fall on those days, they will have more leave to book at another time. So bookable leave can vary from year to year for part-time employees, depending on when bank holidays fall, but they still have the same total amount of paid time off.

How do you calculate a part-time employee’s holiday entitlement?

• For example, an employee working 30 hours per week (full-timer works 37.5 hours per week) would be entitled to:
  5.6 x 30 = 168 hours
• For example, an employee works 8 hours per week (full-timer works 37.5 hours per week) would be entitled to:
  5.6 x 8 = 45 hours (rounded up from 44.8 hours)

Why do employers need to keep track of part-time holiday entitlements in hours?

It is a convenient way of keeping track of time taken, especially when a part-time employee works different hours on different days in a week.

What do employers do if they pay staff more than the statutory 5.6 weeks holiday?

Firstly, calculate the full-time entitlement, and then pro-rate entitlement to reflect the number of hours the part-time employee works per week.

• For example, a full-time employee is entitled to 32 days (contractually entitled to 24 days plus 8 bank holidays). A part-time employee works 30 hours per week.
  24 + 8 = 32 days / 5 (number of working days per week) = 6.4 weeks
  6.4 x 30 = 192 hours – part-time holiday entitlement.

What should I do next?

If you are an employer in need of advice or have a specific question on part-time holidays, please speak with us using the form below. We regret that we cannot deal with enquiries from individuals, and suggest that you contact ACAS.