Holiday and leave tracking with UK rules built in
Set up holiday the way UK law works: 5.6 weeks a year, pro rata for part-time staff and 12.07% of hours for irregular-hours workers. Staff request time off in the app; balances keep themselves up to date.
Free for up to 10 people, with every feature. Not a trial.
How it works
Choose a policy
Start from Annual leave (5.6 weeks), Irregular hours (12.07%), Sick or Unpaid, or build your own in six steps.
Staff request time off
In the app, by day, half day or hours, with a fit note photo if needed. They see their balance first.
You approve
Requests are checked against notice, how many people are off and the rota, then approved or declined.
Entitlement worked out for each person
The standard policy gives 28 days to someone working 5 days a week, and pro rata for fewer days: days × 28 ÷ 5, capped at 28. Starters and part-year workers are pro-rated and rounded up to the next half day.
For irregular-hours and part-year workers, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours they're paid for, as each timesheet is approved. During sick and family leave it keeps building up, from their average hours over the 52 weeks before.
- 5.6 weeks, pro rata
- 12.07% for irregular hours
- Yearly upfront or monthly in arrears
Requests checked before they reach you
A request is checked against the policy before it's sent: minimum notice, longest allowed, blackout dates, how many people can be off at once, the person's balance and any attachment needed. If something's wrong, they're told exactly what.
Managers see clashes with the rota when they approve, and every approval, cancellation and adjustment is written to the person's leave record.
- Notice, blackout and cover rules
- Rota clashes shown
- Half days and hours
Balances you can trust
Each person's balance comes from their leave record: accruals, leave taken, carry-over, expiry and adjustments, each with a date and a reason. Nothing is overwritten, and leave can't be booked into a closed pay period.
Carry-over has a cap per policy, and anything over it expires at the end of the leave year. Bank holidays can be extra, included (booked automatically) or treated as normal days, with GOV.UK dates for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Carry-over caps and expiry
- Bank holidays your way
- Balances in payroll files
Works with
Questions
How much holiday does a full-time worker get in the UK?
5.6 weeks a year, which is 28 days for someone working 5 days a week. Employers can include bank holidays in the 28 days. KiteClock's standard policy is set up this way.
How is holiday worked out for part-time staff?
Pro rata: days worked a week × 28 ÷ 5, capped at 28. Someone working 3 days a week gets 16.8 days, which KiteClock rounds up to 17 days (the next half day).
What is the 12.07% holiday rule?
For irregular-hours and part-year workers, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours they work in each pay period. KiteClock adds it when each timesheet is approved.
Does holiday build up during sick leave?
Yes. For irregular-hours workers, KiteClock keeps adding holiday during sick and family leave from their average hours over the previous 52 weeks.
Can staff request half days or hours?
Yes. Requests can be whole days, half days or hours, and can include a fit note photo where the policy needs one.
Do approved holidays go into payroll?
Yes. Approved holiday and sick leave go into payroll exports by leave type, along with each person's holiday balance.
Free for up to 10 people
Every feature, not a trial, no card needed. Bigger team? Try everything free for 14 days, or book a demo.