Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearHow much holiday do I get when I start a new job?
1/12 of the year's leave a month
You start building up holiday on your first day, probation included. If you join part way through the leave year, you get the share of the year that's left. In your first year your employer can let you take only what you've built up so far: one twelfth of the year's leave for each month.
Your share of the year
| You start on | Months left | Holiday for the year (28 days a year) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January | 12 | 28 days |
| 1 April | 9 | 21 days |
| 1 July | 6 | 14 days |
| 1 October | 3 | 7 days |
For a leave year from 1 January. If your contract gives more than 28 days, it should say how the first year is worked out.
Starting mid-month
gov.uk's example: you get 28 days a year, the leave year starts on 1 January and you start on 13 January. You're entitled to 2.5 days for January: 28 ÷ 12 = 2.33, rounded up to the nearest half day.
Taking it in your first year
- Under an accrual system you get 1/12 of your leave each month: after three months, 28 ÷ 12 × 3 = 7 days.
- Many employers let you book holiday before you've built it up. If you leave having taken more than you'd built up, they can only take it back from your final pay if you agreed in writing beforehand.
- Part days in your first year are rounded up to the nearest half day.
- After the first year you can use your whole year's leave from the start of each leave year.
During probation
Holiday builds up during probation like any other time. Your employer can still control when you take it, and you still need to give the usual notice. How much notice.
Sources
- gov.uk: Calculate leave entitlement (leave years, starting a job, irregular hours, carrying over)
- Acas: Asking for and taking holiday
- Acas: How much holiday someone gets
- gov.uk: Holiday entitlement calculator
Checked on 26 October 2026. This is general information about the legal minimum in the UK, not legal advice: your contract can give you more, and can set its own rules for notice and carrying over. For help with your own situation, call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 (England, Scotland and Wales) or the Labour Relations Agency on 03300 555 300 (Northern Ireland).
More questions
Can I take holiday during my probation period?
Yes, if your employer agrees the dates. You build up holiday from your first day, and your employer can't stop you taking it altogether, though they can refuse particular dates with notice.
I already booked a holiday before starting. What now?
Tell your new employer before you start, ideally before you accept. They don't have to agree, so it's better raised early. If you haven't built up enough leave, they may offer unpaid leave.