Time calculators

Leave Calculator

Updated Jun 30, 2026 By Jehan Wadia
Formulas
Who is calculating?
Labels and results adjust to who the balance belongs to.
Calculation Scenario
Choose how the entitlement should be worked out.
Working pattern
Irregular hours use a proportional accrual based on time worked.
Leave Allowance
Allowance Unit
Full entitlement for a complete leave year before any pro-rating.
Accrual Method
How the balance becomes available across the year.
Leave is added to the balance at this frequency through the year.
Employment Dates
Used to pro-rate the balance if the leave year is not worked in full.
Current Leave Status
Deducted from the accrued balance in the final result.
Defaults to today. Must be on or after the start date.
Your Inputs
Result
Leave balance remaining
0 Days
As of —
Calculation Breakdown
Step-by-Step Solution
Accrual Through the Leave Year
Balance Composition

Introduction

This leave calculator helps you work out how much paid leave you or your employees have left. It covers full leave years, partial years, and accrued leave up to any date you choose. You can calculate in days or hours, and it works for both fixed and irregular work patterns.

Just enter your annual leave allowance, start date, and any leave already taken. The calculator does the rest. It gives you a clear breakdown, step-by-step math, and charts so you can see exactly how your leave adds up over time. Whether you are an employee checking your own balance or an employer managing staff leave, this tool gives you a fast and accurate answer.

How to Use Our Leave Calculator

Enter details about your job, leave allowance, and key dates. The calculator will show how much leave you have left, a full breakdown of the math, and helpful charts.

Who is calculating: Pick whether you are an employee figuring out your own leave or an employer checking an employee's leave balance.

Calculation scenario: Choose "Full Leave Year" if the job runs the whole year. Pick "Part of a Leave Year" if the job started or ended mid-year. Choose "Accrued (Pay Period)" to see how much leave has built up to a specific date.

Working pattern: Select "Fixed / Regular Hours" if the work schedule stays the same each week. Select "Irregular / Part-Year Hours" if the hours change from week to week or the job only covers part of the year. If you need help tracking weekly hours, our work hours calculator can help.

Allowance unit: Choose whether your leave is tracked in days or hours.

Annual leave allowance: Enter the total amount of leave given for a full year before any adjustments. For example, the UK statutory minimum is 28 days. For a broader look at your full yearly entitlement, you can also try our annual leave calculator.

Accrual method: Pick "Upfront" if the full leave balance is granted all at once on a set renewal date. Pick "Incremental" if leave builds up over time. This option does not apply to irregular hours workers.

Renewal date: If you chose "Upfront," enter the day and month the leave balance resets each year.

Accrual frequency: If you chose "Incremental," pick how often leave is added — daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

Employment start date: Enter the day, month, and year the job began. This is used to pro-rate the leave if the full year was not worked. If you need to figure out the exact span between two dates, our date duration calculator can help.

Employment end date: If you chose "Part of a Leave Year," enter the last day of work. This field only appears for that scenario.

Leave already taken: Enter the number of days or hours of leave that have already been used. This amount is subtracted from the accrued balance.

Calculate balance as of: This defaults to today's date. Change it to see what the balance was on a past date or will be on a future date. It must be on or after the start date. You can use our days from date calculator to count forward from a specific date.

Press Calculate to see your results. Press Reset to clear all fields and start over. Press Print Result to print a copy of your leave balance summary.

What Is Annual Leave?

Annual leave is paid time off from work. It lets workers take a break and still get paid. In the UK, most workers get at least 28 days of paid leave each year. This is also called holiday entitlement or statutory leave. Part-time workers get leave too, but the amount is based on how many days or hours they work. If you are tracking paid time off in a different format, our PTO calculator is another useful tool.

How Is Leave Calculated?

If you work a full year, you get your full leave allowance. If you start or leave a job part way through the year, your leave is pro-rated. This means you only get a share of the total based on how much of the year you actually worked. For example, if you worked half the year, you would get roughly half your leave. A percentage calculator can help you quickly check these proportions.

Fixed Hours vs. Irregular Hours

Workers with fixed hours work the same number of hours each week. Their leave is simple to work out. Workers with irregular or part-year hours — like zero-hours or seasonal staff — build up leave bit by bit based on the time they actually work. UK law says these workers accrue leave at a rate of 12.07% of hours worked. You can use a time card calculator to keep an accurate record of hours worked each pay period.

How Leave Builds Up

There are two main ways leave can be given. With upfront leave, the full amount is granted at the start of the leave year. With incremental accrual, leave is added in small amounts over time — daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. The method your employer uses affects how much leave you can take at any point in the year. To count how many business days fall within a period, our business days calculator is a handy companion.

Leave Already Taken

Your remaining leave balance is simply the leave you have built up minus the leave you have already used. If you have taken more leave than you have earned so far, your balance will be negative. This can happen when leave is granted upfront and you leave the job early.

Why Tracking Leave Matters

Keeping track of leave helps both workers and employers. Workers can plan holidays and know how many days they have left. Employers can make sure they follow the law and pay the right amount when someone leaves. Mistakes with leave can lead to disputes or underpayment, so getting the numbers right is important. If you also need to understand how leave affects your take-home pay, check out our salary calculator or paycheck calculator for a fuller picture of your earnings.

Formulas used

Pro-Rata Factor
\text{Pro-rata} = \frac{\text{Days worked in leave year}}{\text{Total days in leave year}}
Pro-Rated Entitlement
\text{Entitlement} = \text{Annual Allowance} \times \text{Pro-rata Factor}
Daily / Irregular-Hours Accrual
\text{Accrued} = \frac{\text{Annual Allowance}}{\text{Days in leave year}} \times \text{Days elapsed}
Weekly Accrual
\text{Accrued} = \frac{\text{Annual Allowance}}{52} \times \left\lfloor \frac{\text{Days elapsed}}{7} \right\rfloor
Monthly Accrual
\text{Accrued} = \frac{\text{Annual Allowance}}{12} \times \text{Complete months elapsed}
Quarterly Accrual
\text{Accrued} = \frac{\text{Annual Allowance}}{4} \times \left\lfloor \frac{\text{Complete months elapsed}}{3} \right\rfloor
Remaining Balance
\text{Balance} = \text{Accrued Leave} - \text{Leave Already Taken}

Frequently asked questions

What does pro-rated leave mean?

Pro-rated leave means your leave is adjusted based on how much of the year you actually worked. If you only worked part of the leave year, you get a smaller share of the full allowance. The calculator does this math for you automatically.

What is the difference between upfront and incremental accrual?

With upfront accrual, you get all your leave at once on a set date each year. With incremental accrual, leave is added to your balance a little at a time — daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. The method you pick changes how much leave you can use at any point in the year.

Can I calculate leave in hours instead of days?

Yes. Click the Hours button in the Allowance Unit section. All labels, results, and charts will switch to hours. This is useful if your employer tracks leave by the hour rather than by the day.

Why is my leave balance negative?

A negative balance means you have taken more leave than you have earned so far. This can happen if leave was granted upfront and you used it before the full year was complete, or if the leave taken value you entered is higher than your accrued amount.

What should I enter for annual leave allowance?

Enter the total leave you would receive for a full year of work, before any adjustments. For example, the UK statutory minimum is 28 days for a full-time worker. If your contract gives you more, enter that number instead.

How does the calculator handle irregular or part-year workers?

When you select Irregular / Part-Year Hours, the calculator accrues leave in proportion to the time worked within the leave year. The upfront and incremental accrual options do not apply because leave builds up based on actual hours or days worked.

What is the 'Calculate Balance As Of' date for?

This date controls the point in time the balance is calculated. It defaults to today. You can change it to a past date to see what the balance was, or a future date to forecast what it will be. It must be on or after the employment start date.

What is a leave year?

A leave year is the 12-month period during which your leave entitlement applies. It often runs from 1 January to 31 December, but some employers use a different start date. If you chose upfront accrual, the renewal date you enter sets when the leave year begins.

Can I use this calculator if I started my job mid-year?

Yes. Select Part of a Leave Year or Accrued (Pay Period) as your scenario. Enter your actual start date. The calculator will pro-rate your entitlement so you only see the leave you are owed for the time you have worked.

What does the accrual frequency setting do?

Accrual frequency controls how often new leave is added to your balance when using incremental accrual. Options are daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. A monthly frequency, for example, adds one-twelfth of your annual allowance each complete month.

How do I calculate leave for an employee who has already left?

Select I'm an Employer and choose the Part of a Leave Year scenario. Enter the employee's start date and their last working day as the end date. The calculator will show the pro-rated entitlement and remaining balance.

Does this calculator include bank holidays in the leave total?

The calculator works with whatever number you enter as the annual allowance. In the UK, the 28-day statutory minimum can include bank holidays. If your employer counts bank holidays separately, enter only the leave days that are not bank holidays.

Can I print or save my results?

Yes. Click the Print Result button to open your browser's print dialog. You can print a paper copy or save it as a PDF. The input controls are hidden on the printout so only the summary, breakdown, and steps appear.

What happens if I enter a start date after the 'as of' date?

The calculator will show an error. The as of date must be on or after the employment start date because you cannot calculate a balance before the job began.

Is this calculator only for UK leave rules?

No. While the default 28-day allowance matches UK statutory leave, you can enter any allowance amount. The pro-rating and accrual math works the same way regardless of country, so you can use it wherever you are.