Pro Rata Holiday Entitlement Calculator
This figure includes public/bank holidays if the full-time entitlement figure included them.
Guide to Calculating Holiday Entitlement Pro Rata
Calculating holiday entitlement pro rata is essential for ensuring fair treatment of part-time workers. "Pro rata" simply means "in proportion." If an employee works fewer days than a full-time colleague, their holiday allowance should be reduced proportionally to match the time they work.
Why Calculate Pro Rata Holiday?
Employment laws in many jurisdictions, including the UK, dictate that part-time workers must not be treated less favorably than full-time workers. This includes holiday pay and leave entitlement. While a full-time worker might get 28 days of leave per year, granting the same number of days to someone working only one day a week would be disproportionate.
Instead, the entitlement is scaled down based on the ratio of days worked.
The Calculation Formula
The standard formula for calculating pro rata holiday entitlement based on days worked is straightforward:
(Days Worked per Week ÷ Full-Time Days per Week) × Full-Time Annual Entitlement
Example Calculation
Let's assume the company policy offers 28 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) for full-time staff working 5 days a week.
- Full-Time Entitlement: 28 days
- Full-Time Week: 5 days
- Employee Works: 3 days a week
The calculation would be:
(3 ÷ 5) × 28 = 16.8 days
In this scenario, the employee is entitled to 16.8 days of annual leave. Employers often round this up to the nearest half-day or full day, though they are not legally required to round up (but they cannot round down below the statutory minimum).
Handling Bank Holidays
It is important to clarify whether the full-time entitlement figure entered into the calculator includes bank holidays. In the UK, the statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks, which equates to 28 days for a 5-day worker. This 28-day figure typically includes the 8 standard bank holidays.
If a part-time worker's scheduled work day falls on a bank holiday, they must take that day as part of their leave entitlement. If they do not work on Mondays (when most bank holidays fall), they still receive a pro-rata allowance, but they won't need to "spend" it on those bank holidays since they aren't working anyway.
Hours vs. Days
While this calculator focuses on days, some contracts are based on hours. If an employee works irregular hours, it is often more accurate to calculate entitlement in hours using a similar ratio:
(Hours Worked per Week ÷ Full-Time Hours per Week) × Full-Time Annual Hours Entitlement
Accurate calculation ensures compliance with labor laws and maintains trust between the employer and the workforce.