UK Holiday Pay When You Leave a Job 2026: How It's Calculated
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When you leave a UK job, your employer must pay you for any accrued statutory holiday you haven't taken. This guide shows how that payout is worked out under the Working Time Regulations 1998.
Your statutory holiday
Every worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year — 28 days for someone working five days a week (this can include bank holidays if your employer chooses). Part-timers get 5.6 weeks pro-rata.
The leaving formula
Regulation 14 sets the payment as (A × B) − C:
- A = your annual statutory entitlement (e.g. 28 days)
- B = the proportion of the holiday year you worked before leaving
- C = the holiday you've already taken this year
Worked example
28-day entitlement, you leave halfway through the holiday year (B = 0.5) having taken 6 days:
- Accrued = 28 × 0.5 = 14 days
- Untaken = 14 − 6 = 8 days
- At £600/week ÷ 5 = £120/day → 8 × £120 = £960
If you've over-taken
If you've taken more holiday than you'd accrued, your employer can only deduct the difference where your contract clearly allows it — otherwise it can't be clawed back.
Getting the day-rate right
Holiday pay must reflect your normal pay. If you regularly earn overtime or commission, those must be included, using a 52-week average for variable pay — not just basic salary.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get paid for unused holiday when I leave a job in the UK?
Yes. Under the Working Time Regulations 1998 (regulation 14), any statutory holiday you've accrued but not taken by your last day must be paid in lieu. The amount is your accrued entitlement for the part-year worked, minus holiday already taken, valued at a day's pay.
How is accrued holiday calculated on leaving?
Take your annual entitlement (statutory minimum 5.6 weeks, i.e. 28 days for a five-day week), multiply by the proportion of the holiday year you worked before leaving, then subtract the days you already took. What's left is paid out.
Can my employer make me take holiday during my notice?
Yes — an employer can require you to use accrued holiday during your notice period by giving the correct notice (twice the length of the leave). Holiday taken this way reduces what's paid out.
What if I've taken more holiday than I accrued?
If you've taken more statutory leave than you'd accrued by your leaving date, your employer can only recover the excess if your contract or a written agreement clearly allows a deduction. Without that, they generally cannot claw it back.
Is holiday pay based on basic pay only?
No. Holiday pay must reflect your 'normal remuneration', which includes regular overtime, commission and similar payments. For variable pay, a week's pay is averaged over the previous 52 worked weeks.