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. This tool gives a fast and accurate answer for employees checking their own balance and employers managing staff leave.
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.
Allowance unit: Choose whether your leave is tracked in days or hours.
Annual leave allowance: Enter the total amount of annual leave given for a full year before any adjustments. For example, the UK statutory minimum is 28 days.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, so an accurate record for each pay period matters.
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.
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.