Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearHow is holiday pay calculated?
A week's pay for a week off
You get a week's pay for each week of statutory holiday. If your hours and pay are fixed, that's simply your usual pay. If they vary, it's an average of the last 52 weeks you were paid. For at least 4 of the 5.6 weeks, “pay” includes regular overtime and commission, not just basic pay.
By how you work
| How you work | A week's holiday pay |
|---|---|
| Regular hours, fixed pay (full or part-time) | Your pay for a normal week |
| Shifts with regular hours | Your average weekly fixed hours over the last 52 weeks, at your average hourly rate |
| Irregular hours or part of the year | Your average weekly pay over the last 52 weeks you were paid |
Weeks with no pay are skipped, looking back up to 104 weeks. With under 52 weeks' pay, the weeks you have are used.
“Normal” and “basic” pay
- Regular hours: at least 4 weeks must be paid at your normal rate, which includes commission, regular overtime and payments for length of service or professional qualifications (not usually bonuses). The other 1.6 weeks can be at your basic rate.
- Irregular hours and part-year workers: all of it at the normal rate.
- Rolled-up holiday pay (an extra 12.07% in each pay packet instead of pay when you're off) is only allowed for irregular hours and part-year workers. Irregular hours.
Paid monthly?
Divide a month's pay by the hours you worked that month for your average hourly pay, multiply by your weekly hours for a week's pay, and average that over the last 52 weeks.
Example: regular overtime
You're paid £600 a week basic and do regular overtime worth £60 a week on average. For your first 4 weeks of holiday, a week's pay is £660, not £600.
Since 6 April 2026 employers must keep records of the leave you take and the holiday pay you get, for 6 years.
Sources
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
Does holiday pay include overtime?
Regular overtime, yes, for at least 4 weeks of your statutory holiday. Occasional overtime that isn't regular may not count.
Are bonuses included in holiday pay?
Not usually. Commission and regular overtime are; bonuses usually aren't.