Annual Holidays Calculator New Zealand 2026
Work out the four weeks of paid annual holidays every employee becomes entitled to under the Holidays Act 2003, pro-rated for part-time and part-year staff.
Use 2.5 for someone working alternate days.
Statutory minimum is 20 days. Raise it if your contract is more generous.
Leave booked or used so far this leave year.
Pro-rates the allowance across the months actually worked.
Entitlement
20days
This is the statutory minimum for this pattern.
Remaining
20days
Entitlement less the days already taken.
Statutory floor
20days
4 weeks × 5 days a week.
Public holidays on top
12days
Total including public holidays: 32 days.
Statutory figures follow Employment New Zealand — Annual holidays. Every value above is editable, because contracts and awards often improve on the legal minimum. This calculator is a guide, not legal advice — check your own contract or the authority linked above before acting on a figure.
How New Zealand annual holidays are calculated
Under the Holidays Act 2003, employees become entitled to four weeks of paid annual holidays after each 12 months of continuous employment. A five-day-a-week employee therefore gets 20 days.
Because the Act works in weeks rather than days, part-time employees get four of their own working weeks — someone working three days a week gets 12 days. The calculator handles this pro-rating for you.
Employees who leave before completing 12 months are paid 8% of their gross earnings in lieu of annual holidays. New Zealand's twelve public holidays are a separate entitlement on top.
Need to record the result somewhere? Grab the free leave tracker template and keep a running balance for every employee.
Track time off and accruals on autopilot.
Employees request time off in seconds, balances stay accurate, and approvals happen in a tap — no spreadsheets, no manual math.
Multiple time-off types
Manage vacation, sick leave, personal days and custom leave types in one place. Employees request time off, view balances, and get real-time updates. Managers set custom rules, automate approvals, and get reports on usage.
- Custom leave types
- Real-time balances
- One-tap approvals
- Automated accruals
Days or hours
Track time off in days or hours — whichever fits your policies.
Automated accruals
Accrue by tenure, hours worked, anniversary — weekly, 2-weeks, monthly or yearly.
- Tenure rules
- Carry forward
- Probations
- Anniversary
Time off notifications
Employees and managers get instant updates on requests and approvals.
Vacation dashboard
See who's off, who's sick, and who's remote across the whole company.
Statutory annual leave by country
The legal minimum paid annual leave for a full-time employee on a five-day week, and whether public holidays are granted on top. Employers frequently offer more than the floor shown here.
| Country | Annual leave | Public holidays | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 days | — | 5.6 weeks; employers may count the 8 bank holidays within it. |
| Ireland | 20 days | +10 | 4 weeks, or 8% of hours worked, whichever is greater. |
| Australia | 20 days | +11 | 4 weeks under the NES, accruing progressively; plus long service leave. |
| New Zealand | 20 days | +12 | 4 weeks after 12 months of continuous employment. |
| Canada | 10 days | +9 | 2 weeks federally, rising with service; provinces set their own floors. |
| United States | None | — | No federal statutory paid leave; PTO is set entirely by employer policy. |
| India | 15 days | +3 | Earned leave varies by state Act; Factories Act gives 1 day per 20 worked. |
| Singapore | 7 days | +11 | 7 days in year one, rising by 1 a year to 14 days. |
| United Arab Emirates | 30 days | +14 | 30 calendar days a year after 12 months of service. |
| Saudi Arabia | 21 days | +4 | 21 days, rising to 30 after five years of service. |
| South Africa | 15 days | +12 | 21 consecutive days, i.e. 15 working days on a 5-day week. |
| Philippines | 5 days | +18 | 5 days service incentive leave, usable as vacation or sick leave. |
| Germany | 20 days | +9 | 20 days statutory on a 5-day week; 25–30 is the norm in practice. |
| France | 25 days | +11 | 5 weeks, accrued at 2.5 working days per month worked. |
| Spain | 22 days | +14 | 30 calendar days, i.e. 22 working days on a 5-day week. |
| Mexico | 12 days | +7 | 12 days in year one since the 2023 reform, rising with service. |
Frequently asked questions
How much annual leave do I get in New Zealand?
Four weeks of paid annual holidays after each 12 months of continuous employment, under the Holidays Act 2003. For a five-day week that is 20 days; part-time employees get four of their own working weeks.
What is the 8% rule in New Zealand?
Employees who leave before completing 12 months of continuous employment receive 8% of their gross earnings as holiday pay instead of an annual holidays entitlement. The same 8% applies to genuine fixed-term employees of less than 12 months and some casual staff.
Are public holidays part of annual leave in New Zealand?
No. The twelve public holidays are a separate entitlement on top of the four weeks of annual holidays. Employees who work a public holiday are entitled to time and a half and, if it was an otherwise working day, an alternative holiday.
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