BEHIND THE NUMBERS
How this calculation works
Worked example
Two weeks of leave at eligible fixed weekly pay of £500 gives £1,000 gross holiday pay.
Example result: £1,000.00
Prepare the reference history carefully
A reference week is a complete payroll week, not an arbitrary seven-day slice of a monthly payslip. Use weekly records and count back from the last complete week before leave. Missing eligible weeks can distort the average more than any rounding choice.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland differ
The GB reference normally uses 52 paid weeks with a 104-week lookback limit. Northern Ireland guidance uses 12 weeks and does not permit rolled-up holiday pay. The territory selector changes both validation and the reference selection.
Rolled-up pay is an addition
The 12.07% calculation starts with pay for work excluding the holiday addition. Multiplying a total that already includes holiday pay would add the allowance twice. Paying it alongside wages does not remove the right to take time off.
Assumptions and rounding
- The supplied history is complete, ordered newest first and uses eligible normal remuneration.
- Regular workers’ first four weeks and additional 1.6 weeks can have different pay bases; enter the appropriate basis.
- Rolled-up mode uses statutory 5.6-week entitlement.
Questions about this calculator
Are unpaid weeks counted as zero in the average?
No. A zero record is skipped when choosing paid reference weeks. In GB the 104-calendar-week lookback still limits how far back the records can extend.
Can I use only three weeks of history?
Only when that is all the eligible history available for a genuine new starter. An established worker should supply the required complete reference history.
Does this deduct tax?
No. Holiday pay is gross employment pay. Tax and NI depend on the period and the worker’s payroll circumstances.