Pro Rata Leave Calculator
What is Pro Rata Leave?
Pro rata leave is a portion of a full-time holiday entitlement assigned to a part-time employee. The term "pro rata" is Latin for "in proportion." This ensures that part-time workers receive the same amount of paid time off relative to the hours they work as their full-time colleagues.
How to Calculate Pro Rata Entitlement
The standard formula for calculating pro rata leave is based on the ratio of hours worked by the part-time employee compared to the hours worked by a full-time employee. The formula used by our calculator is:
(Part-time Hours ÷ Full-time Hours) × Full-time Entitlement = Pro Rata Leave
Example Calculation
If a full-time employee works 40 hours per week and receives 28 days of annual leave, and a part-time employee works 20 hours per week, the calculation would be:
- Full-time entitlement: 28 days
- Ratio: 20 hours / 40 hours = 0.5
- Calculation: 0.5 × 28 days = 14 days
The part-time employee is entitled to 14 days of holiday per year.
Important Statutory Considerations
In many jurisdictions, such as the UK, there is a legal minimum holiday entitlement. For instance, the statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. This includes bank holidays unless specified otherwise in the employment contract.
- Bank Holidays: If a part-time worker's scheduled day falls on a bank holiday, the employer usually deducts a day from their pro rata allowance. If they do not work on that day, they still receive the benefit through their pro rata total.
- Rounding: Employers cannot round down holiday entitlement, but many choose to round up to the nearest half or full day to make management easier.
- Leave Years: Entitlement usually accrues from the first day of employment and is often tied to a "leave year" (e.g., Jan-Dec or April-March).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do part-time workers get bank holidays?
Yes, part-time workers are entitled to a pro rata share of bank holidays, regardless of whether they normally work on the days those bank holidays fall.
What happens if I change my hours mid-year?
If your working hours change, your employer should calculate your leave entitlement in two parts: one for the period you worked full-time and another for the period you worked part-time.