In the UK, almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday each year. This is known as statutory leave entitlement and can include bank holidays.
Employees working a 5-day week get a minimum of 28 days’ paid holiday days each year (including bank holidays).
- 5 days x 5.6 weeks = 28 days
Part-time workers get less paid holiday as their entitlement is worked out on a pro-rata basis according to the number of hours or days they work. For an employee who normally worked 2 days a week, their holiday entitlement would be 11.2 days.
- 2 days x 5.6 weeks = 11.2 days
No matter what the working pattern, a worker should still receive holiday pay based on a week’s normal remuneration. For workers with no normal working hours, this is based on the average pay received over the previous 12 weeks.
In the Netherlands, almost all employees are legally entitled to a minimum of 4 times the number of hours they work per week. This is known as the statutory holiday entitlement (wettelijk verlof).
📌 Full-time employees (40 hours per week)
A full-time employee working 40 hours per week is entitled to 160 holiday hours per year, which equals 20 days.
40 hours × 4 = 160 hours (20 days)
📌 Part-time employees
Part-time employees receive holiday entitlement on a pro-rata basis, calculated from their contracted weekly hours.
For example, an employee who works 24 hours per week receives 96 holiday hours, which equals 12 days.
24 hours × 4 = 96 hours (12 days)
📌 Working patterns do not change the calculation
No matter the schedule—full-time, part-time, or irregular—holiday entitlement is always based on the contracted weekly hours.
📌 Holiday pay
Holiday pay is based on the employee’s normal salary, including any fixed allowances. For employees with variable hours or pay, holiday pay is based on their average earnings, usually calculated over the previous period (according to the employer’s policy or collective agreement).
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