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Free tools › Annual leave by country

Annual leave: Australia vs United Kingdom

Statutory annual leave in Australia and the UK, side by side, with the primary source for every figure.

How does annual leave compare between Australia and UK?

Australia: 4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions. United Kingdom: 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it. At five years' service that means 4 weeks in Australia and 5.6 weeks in the UK.

Australia vs United Kingdom, side by side

AustraliaUnited Kingdom
The rule4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions.5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it.
At 1 year4 weeks5.6 weeks
At 5 years4 weeks5.6 weeks
At 10 years4 weeks5.6 weeks
Key numbersEntitlement: 4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers); Public holidays: 8 national; 10-13 typical by state; Leave loading: Award-dependent, commonly 17.5%Entitlement: 5.6 weeks (28-day cap); Bank holidays: 8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks; Part-time: Pro rata

Australia

The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination. Shiftworkers defined by an award get 5 weeks. Leave loading (commonly 17.5%) applies only where an award or agreement provides it. Public holidays add 8 national days, with states typically taking the total to 10 to 13.

  • Entitlement4 weeks a year (5 for award shiftworkers)
  • Public holidays8 national; 10-13 typical by state
  • Leave loadingAward-dependent, commonly 17.5%
  • On terminationUnused leave paid out
  • Casuals get no paid annual leave; the 25% loading is the trade-off.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (NES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87). Checked July 2026.

United Kingdom

Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap. There is no statutory right to bank holidays off; the 8 in England and Wales can be counted inside the 5.6 weeks. Since April 2026 employers must keep holiday pay records for six years.

  • Entitlement5.6 weeks (28-day cap)
  • Bank holidays8 in England and Wales, countable within the 5.6 weeks
  • Part-timePro rata
  • Scotland has 9 bank holidays and Northern Ireland 10, so the countable days differ by nation.

Source: GOV.UK (Working Time Regulations 1998). Checked July 2026.

Hiring in both markets?

Put a full number on each side with the true-cost calculators: True cost of an employee (Australia) and True cost of an employee (UK). The complete six-market picture is on the Annual leave by country page.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the government source for its market.

MarketSourceRule / effectiveVerified
AustraliaFair Work OmbudsmanNES, Fair Work Act ss.86-87Checked July 2026
United KingdomGOV.UKWorking Time Regulations 1998Checked July 2026
Where Compono fits

Comparing entitlements is the easy half of hiring across markets. The hard half is whether the person you hire in Sydney, Singapore or Seattle will actually work out, and that risk looks the same in every jurisdiction. Compono matches candidates on how they work, not just what the CV claims, so the hires behind these numbers hold up wherever you make them.

See how it works

Common questions

What is the rule on annual leave in Australia?

4 weeks' paid leave a year (5 for defined shiftworkers), accruing from day one, plus 8 national public holidays and state additions. The NES gives full-time and part-time employees 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year, accruing progressively and rolling over indefinitely, with unused leave paid out on termination.

What is the rule on annual leave in the UK?

5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, and employers can count bank holidays towards it. Almost all UK workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, which is 28 days on a five-day week and stays 28 for six-day workers because of the cap.

Where can I check the source figures?

The sources section below links the Australia and the UK government pages every figure on this page was verified against in July 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with the Fair Work Ombudsman, GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.