Zero Hours Holiday Pay Calculator
Zero-hours, casual, agency and irregular-hours workers accrue holiday at 12.07% of every hour worked since April 2024. Enter your hours and rate to see the holiday pay you have built up — and what rolled-up holiday pay should add to each payslip.
12.07% accrual calculator
Holiday pay accrued this period
£117.90
9.66 hours of holiday accrued
Quick answer: zero-hours and irregular-hours workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, accrued at 12.07% of hours worked (5.6 ÷ 46.4). Work 80 hours at £12.21 and you accrue 9.66 holiday hours worth £117.90 — capped at 28 days a year.
How 12.07% works
The statutory entitlement is 5.6 weeks of a 52-week year. If 5.6 of those weeks are holiday, you actually work 46.4 weeks. So holiday as a share of working time is:
5.6 ÷ 46.4 = 0.1207 = 12.07%
For every hour you work, you accrue 0.1207 hours of paid holiday — about 7 minutes 14 seconds.
Rolled-up holiday pay and the payslip
Since 1 April 2024 employers may pay holiday as a 12.07% uplift on each payment instead of paying you when you take leave. If they do, the law is strict:
- It applies only to irregular-hours workers and part-year workers — not regular part-timers on fixed hours.
- The uplift must be clearly itemised as holiday pay on the payslip. Burying it inside an inflated hourly rate is unlawful.
- You must still be able to take actual leave; rolled-up pay does not remove the entitlement.
- From 6 April 2026 employers must keep records proving the calculation — so any dispute now has an evidential trail.
Zero hours, agency and casual work
| Worker type | Method | Rolled-up allowed? |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-hours / casual | 12.07% of hours worked | Yes |
| Agency worker | 12.07% of hours worked | Yes (via the agency) |
| Term-time only | 12.07% or a lawful part-year method | Yes |
| Regular part-time (fixed hours) | Days per week × 5.6 | No |
| Full-time employee | 5.6 weeks a year | No |
Frequently asked questions
Do zero-hours workers get holiday pay?
Yes. Zero-hours workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of statutory paid holiday, calculated pro rata to hours worked at 12.07%.
How is zero-hours holiday pay calculated?
12.07% of the hours you worked in the pay period, paid at your average hourly rate, or as a 12.07% uplift on each payment if your employer uses rolled-up holiday pay.
Is rolled-up holiday pay legal?
Yes for irregular-hours and part-year workers since 1 April 2024, provided it is 12.07%, shown separately on the payslip, and you can still take leave. It remains unlawful for regular full-time and part-time staff.
Is there a cap on accrued holiday?
Yes — 28 days per leave year, which is the statutory maximum for everyone regardless of how many hours you work.
What if my employer pays me a higher hourly rate instead of holiday pay?
That is only lawful if the holiday element is separately identified on your payslip. A vague "rate includes holiday pay" is not enough and is a common source of successful claims.