Pro Rata Holiday Calculator
Calculation Results
Understanding Pro Rata Holiday Entitlement
For part-time workers, calculating holiday entitlement can be confusing. "Pro rata" simply means "in proportion." This calculator helps determine how much paid annual leave a part-time employee is entitled to based on the holiday allowance of a full-time employee within the same organization.
How the Calculation Works
The standard method for calculating pro rata holiday entitlement ensures that part-time staff receive the same proportion of holiday as full-time staff, relative to the hours they work.
The formula used is:
- Step 1: Calculate the Ratio. (Employee Hours ÷ Full-Time Hours)
- Step 2: Multiply the Full-Time Holiday Entitlement by this Ratio.
Example Calculation
Let's look at a practical example to understand the math:
- Full-Time Hours: 40 hours per week.
- Full-Time Holiday: 28 days per year.
- Your Hours: 20 hours per week.
First, we find the ratio: 20 ÷ 40 = 0.5 (or 50%).
Next, we apply this to the holiday allowance: 28 days × 0.5 = 14 days.
This means a part-time worker doing exactly half the hours of a full-time worker gets exactly half the holiday days.
Days vs. Hours
While holiday is often discussed in "days," it is frequently more accurate to calculate entitlement in "hours" for part-time workers, especially those who work irregular shifts or days of varying lengths.
To convert the entitlement to hours, we assume a standard full-time day length (Full-Time Hours ÷ 5 days). In the example above, a full-time worker works 8 hours a day. Therefore, the part-time worker is entitled to 14 days × 8 hours = 112 hours of paid leave per year.
Statutory Minimums
In many regions (such as the UK), there is a statutory minimum holiday entitlement. For example, UK workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. This is capped at 28 days for those working 5 or more days a week.
For a part-time worker, the 5.6 weeks rule still applies to the hours worked. If you work 10 hours a week, your minimum statutory entitlement is 10 × 5.6 = 56 hours of holiday per year.
Why is accuracy important?
Under-calculating holiday entitlement is illegal and can lead to employment tribunals. Over-calculating costs the business money. Using a precise pro rata calculator ensures fairness and compliance with labor laws.