Holiday leave

Workers are legally entitled to paid time off work, including holiday leave (sometimes called annual leave). This guide explains what holiday leave is and what holiday pay you're entitled to.

Holiday leave, often called annual leave, is a paid, scheduled break from work that you are legally entitled it. It allows you to take time off to rest and relax while still getting paid your normal salary. 

The amount of holiday you get depends on: 

  • how many days or hours you work 
  • any additional holiday your employer offers 

The legal minimum is 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year. 

For example: 

  • working 5 days per week = 28 days holiday 
  • working 3 days per week = 16.8 days holiday 

Employers can offer more than this, but not less. 

You start accruing (building up) holiday from your first day of work. 

This means you build up holiday even when you are: 

If your hours change each week, your employer should calculate your holiday pay based on your average pay. 

This usually means: 

  • looking at the last 52 weeks of pay 
  • only counting weeks where you were paid 

Workers are legally entitled to paid time off work. Aside from holiday pay, this includes other types of leave such as sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, carer’s leave, bereavement leave and parental leave.

Learn more about your rights at work