Holiday Entitlement When Leaving a Job
Leaving a job part-way through the leave year? You are owed every day of holiday you accrued but did not take — paid on your final payslip. Enter your dates to work out the exact balance.
Holiday on termination calculator
Accrued holiday entitlement
20.94 days
75.1% of the leave year (274 of 365 days)
Quick answer: on leaving, your holiday is pro rated: full-year entitlement × days employed ÷ days in the leave year, minus days taken. Any positive balance must be paid in your final payslip — that is payment in lieu of accrued statutory holiday.
The leaving-job formula
Accrued = full-year entitlement × (days employed in the leave year ÷ days in the leave year)
Then subtract the days you have already taken. If the result is positive, you are owed money. Accrual starts on your first day of employment, including during a probation period.
Rounding and the employee's favour
- Employers may round up to the nearest half or whole day, and most do.
- They must not round down below the statutory minimum — 20.99 days cannot become 20.
- If you have taken more leave than accrued, the employer can only reclaim the excess if your contract expressly allows a deduction from final pay.
How the payout is calculated
Payment in lieu of untaken statutory holiday is paid at your normal holiday pay rate — a 52-week average of your normal remuneration, including regular overtime and commission, not just basic pay. It is subject to tax and National Insurance like normal pay.
What cannot happen
- Your employer cannot refuse to pay the balance because you "did not book it in time".
- Statutory leave cannot be replaced by a payment while you are still employed — payment in lieu is only lawful on termination.
- You cannot be paid less because you are part-time or on a zero-hours contract.
Frequently asked questions
How is holiday pay calculated when leaving a job?
Pro rata accrual to your last day, minus leave taken, paid at your normal holiday pay rate in the final payslip.
Is accrued holiday paid on termination in the UK?
Yes — untaken statutory holiday must be paid, including for zero-hours and agency workers.
What if I have used more holiday than I accrued?
Your employer may only recover the excess where the contract allows a deduction; otherwise the overpayment is not recoverable from your final pay.
Does accrued holiday carry over instead of being paid?
On termination it is paid, not carried over. Carry-over rules apply when you stay employed — for example after sickness or family leave.