WARNING: Your Boss Might Be Stealing Your Zero-Hours Holiday Pay!
"You're on a zero-hours contract, so you don't get paid holiday." This is the biggest lie told by employers in the UK, and it results in millions of pounds of stolen wages every single month.
By law, every time you work an hour, you accrue 12.07% of that time as paid holiday. Many employers use the "Rolled-Up" system, paying this extra cash on your weekly or monthly payslip.
But are they calculating it correctly? Use our checker below to find out if you are being robbed.
🚨 Are You Being Short-Changed?
Enter your payslip details to find the exact 12.07% legal minimum your boss owes you.
1. The 12.07% Law: Why Zero-Hours Workers Are Losing Money
The law is crystal clear: every worker in the UK is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. For someone working irregular or zero hours, this mathematically works out to 12.07% of the hours worked.
If your boss is refusing to pay this, they are breaking the law. It's wage theft.
2. The "Rolled-Up" Trick: How To Check If Your Payslip Is Legal
Since April 2024, the government legalised "Rolled-Up" holiday pay for irregular-hours workers. This means instead of paying you when you actually take a holiday, your employer can just add a 12.07% bonus to every single payslip you receive.
Look at your payslip right now. Do you see a line that says "Hol Pay" or "Holiday Pay"? If you do, check the number against our calculator. If the number on your payslip is lower than what our calculator says, your employer is underpaying you.
3. Does My Overtime Count Towards Holiday Pay? (YES!)
This is the #1 trick employers use to underpay staff. They calculate the 12.07% based only on your base hours.
THE LAW: Your holiday pay calculation MUST include regular overtime, commission, and regular bonuses. If you work 20 base hours and 10 hours overtime, you are owed 12.07% on ALL 30 HOURS of pay.
If your boss excludes overtime from your holiday pay, you are owed money back.
4. How To Force Your Employer To Pay What You're Owed
If our calculator proves you are being underpaid:
- Raise it informally: Show your payslip and our calculation to your manager or payroll department. Often, it's a "mistake" in the payroll software.
- Raise a formal grievance: If they refuse to fix it, submit a formal written grievance.
- ACAS and Tribunal: If they still refuse, contact ACAS. You can take your employer to an Employment Tribunal for "unlawful deduction of wages".
Zero-Hours Panic FAQs (Real Legal Answers)
Do zero hours contract workers get holiday pay?
YES. It is a strict legal requirement in the UK. Every worker, including zero-hours and agency workers, is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. This equates to earning 12.07% of your hours in holiday pay. If your boss says 'zero-hours staff don't get holiday pay', they are breaking the law.
What is 12.07% rolled-up holiday pay?
Rolled-up holiday pay means instead of paying you when you take a week off, your employer adds an extra 12.07% to your wages on every single payslip. This became fully legal again for irregular-hours workers in April 2024. You should see a separate line on your payslip labeled 'Holiday Pay'.
How do I calculate 12.07% holiday pay?
You multiply your total qualifying gross pay (which must include regular overtime and commission) by 12.07% (0.1207). For example, if you earn £200 in a week, you are legally owed an extra £24.14 in holiday pay. Use our calculator above to check your exact payslip.
Is holiday pay taxed on a payslip?
Yes. Holiday pay is treated as normal earnings by HMRC. It is subject to standard Income Tax, National Insurance, and Student Loan deductions.
Can my employer refuse to give me holiday pay?
No. Refusing to pay accrued holiday pay is wage theft. You have the right to take your employer to an Employment Tribunal to claim back unpaid holiday pay.
Need to check your Net Pay?
Now that you know your true Gross Pay including holiday pay, plug it into our master take-home pay calculator to see what hits your bank account after Tax and NI.