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๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK-only ยท 2026/27 Tax Year ยท Free

Zero Hours Holiday Pay Calculator

Calculate exactly how much holiday pay you are owed on a zero-hours or irregular hours contract. Uses the legal 12.07% accrual method and 52-week average rules.

โœ“12.07% Accrual Methodโœ“52-Week Averageโœ“ERA 2025 Updatesโœ“Free โ€” no sign-up

Your Work Details

Method 1: 12.07% Accrual

Used to calculate holiday pay owed for a specific pay period.

Method 2: 52-Week Average

Used to calculate your weekly holiday pay rate if you take a week off.

Only count weeks where you were actually paid.

Method 1 (12.07% Accrual)

Holiday pay earned for this period:

ยฃ61.36

Method 2 (52-Week Average)

1 Week Holiday Pay

ยฃ254.20

Annual Entitlement

ยฃ1423.52

Under the statutory 5.6 weeks rule, this is the expected value of your total annual holiday pay.

โ„น๏ธ Employment Rights Act 2025

Zero-hours workers now have the right to a contract with guaranteed hours based on a 12-week reference period, and compensation for shifts cancelled at short notice.

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Am I Entitled to Holiday Pay on a Zero-Hours Contract?

Yes. It is a common myth that zero-hours or irregular-hours workers do not get paid holiday. Under UK law, almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid statutory holiday every year. Because your hours fluctuate, calculating this isn't as simple as it is for full-time employees, which is why employers must use specific calculations to ensure you aren't underpaid. If you want to check if your standard hourly pay is legal before calculating your holiday, use our Minimum Wage Checker.

How Is Holiday Pay Calculated? Two Methods Explained

For zero-hours contracts, there are two primary ways holiday pay is calculated depending on whether you are accruing holiday on a timesheet, or taking a full week off.

Method 1 โ€” The 12.07% Accrual Method

This method is used to calculate how much holiday you "earn" for every hour you work. Because statutory holiday (5.6 weeks) represents exactly 12.07% of the remaining 46.4 working weeks in a year, you accrue holiday pay at a rate of 12.07% of your hours worked. Many employers now use "rolled-up" holiday pay, where this 12.07% is simply added to your weekly or monthly payslip.

Method 2 โ€” The 52-Week Average Method

If you decide to take a whole week off work, your employer needs to know how much to pay you for that week. They must look back at your last 52 paid weeks of work and calculate your average weekly pay. If you had weeks where you earned nothing, they must ignore those weeks and go further back in time (up to 104 weeks) to find 52 paid weeks. Note: If you work fixed, standard hours, you should use our regular Holiday Pay Calculator instead.

Employment Rights Act 2025 โ€” What Changed for Zero-Hours Workers?

The new Employment Rights Act (ERA) 2025 introduced massive new protections for zero-hours workers. Not only are you entitled to accurate holiday pay, but you now have the right to request a contract with guaranteed hours based on your normal working pattern. Furthermore, zero-hours workers now qualify for day-one sick pay. You can check your entitlement using our Statutory Sick Pay Calculator.

Zero-Hours Rights

Frequently asked questions

How is holiday pay calculated on a zero-hours contract?
Holiday pay for zero-hours or irregular hours workers can be calculated in two ways: by using the 12.07% accrual method on hours worked in a specific pay period, or by taking an average of your weekly pay over the last 52 weeks (ignoring weeks where you didn't work).
What is the 12.07% holiday pay rule?
The 12.07% rule is a calculation method used to work out holiday pay for irregular hours workers. Because statutory holiday entitlement is 5.6 weeks out of a 46.4-week working year (52 weeks - 5.6 weeks), holiday represents exactly 12.07% of your working hours.
Am I entitled to holiday pay on a zero-hours contract?
Yes, absolutely. By law, all workers in the UK, including those on zero-hours contracts, agency workers, and irregular hours workers, are entitled to 5.6 weeks (or 28 days) of paid holiday per year.
How many days holiday am I entitled to on a zero-hours contract?
You are legally entitled to the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday. Because your hours fluctuate, this is usually calculated in hours rather than days, accruing at a rate of 12.07% of the total hours you work.
Can my employer refuse to pay my holiday pay if I'm on zero hours?
No. Your employer cannot refuse to pay you for accrued holiday. They also cannot 'roll up' your holiday pay into your standard hourly rate unless they explicitly state it and separate it on your payslip (rolled-up holiday pay was recently reintroduced for irregular hours workers).
What is the 52-week reference period for holiday pay?
When you take a week of holiday, your employer must pay you based on your average weekly earnings over the previous 52 weeks. If you had weeks where you didn't work or didn't get paid, they must skip those weeks and look further back, up to a maximum of 104 weeks.
Do bank holidays count for zero-hours workers?
Yes, your 5.6 weeks of statutory entitlement can include bank holidays. If you don't normally work on a bank holiday, your employer may count it as part of your paid holiday entitlement.
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