Pro rata holiday means your leave is scaled to the hours or days you work. Part-time staff get the same leave as full-time staff, just in proportion. This guide shows the two most common methods: UK statutory leave and NHS Agenda for Change leave.
UK statutory pro rata holiday
Every UK worker is entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days. To work out your share:
Days you work per week × 5.6 = your holiday in days
- 5 days a week: 5 × 5.6 = 28 days
- 4 days a week: 4 × 5.6 = 22.4 days
- 3 days a week: 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days
- 2 days a week: 2 × 5.6 = 11.2 days
These figures can include bank holidays, depending on your contract.
Working it out in hours
If your days vary in length, use hours instead: weekly hours × 5.6 = holiday hours. For example, 24 hours a week × 5.6 = 134.4 hours a year.
NHS pro rata annual leave
NHS staff on Agenda for Change get more than the legal minimum. Full-time staff (37.5 hours) get 27 days, rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 after 10 years, plus 8 bank holidays. For part-time staff:
(Your weekly hours ÷ 37.5) × full-time days × 7.5 = your leave in hours
Example: 22.5 hours a week with under 5 years' service: 22.5 ÷ 37.5 × 27 × 7.5 = 121.5 hours of annual leave, plus 22.5 ÷ 37.5 × 8 × 7.5 = 36 hours of bank holiday allowance.
Starting or leaving part-way through the year
Multiply your yearly entitlement by the months you work, divided by 12. Starting with 6 months of the leave year left gives you half your entitlement.
Skip the maths with our NHS Annual Leave Calculator or the UK Holiday Entitlement Calculator.