→For employees tracking leave · HR teams calculating new-hire entitlements
Vacation Days Calculator
Enter your annual entitlement, days taken, and any booked leave to see exactly how many vacation days you have left — or calculate a pro-rata balance for a mid-year starter.
Vacation policies vary by employer — some cap carry-over, require minimum notice, or use a different proration method. Use these figures as a guide and confirm the details with HR.
Results are pre-tax estimates for general guidance only — not financial, legal, or tax advice. See disclaimer.
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How to calculate vacation days remaining
Knowing your exact vacation balance avoids awkward conversations with HR and helps you plan time off without accidentally going over your entitlement. The calculation has three parts: what you were given, what you have used, and what you have left.
The formula
- Total available = Annual entitlement + carry-over days
- Spent = Days already taken + days booked (pending)
- Remaining = Total available − Spent
For example, if you have 20 days entitlement, carried over 3 days from last year, taken 8 days, and have 3 more booked: Total available = 23 days, Spent = 11 days, Remaining = 12 days.
How pro-rata vacation works for new hires
When you join mid-year, your vacation entitlement is usually pro-rated based on how much of the leave year remains. The standard method is:
- Earned days = (Full months worked ÷ 12) × Annual entitlement
If your company gives 20 days and you joined at the start of April (9 months left in a January–December year), you earn 9 ÷ 12 × 20 = 15 days for that year.
Common rounding and rounding rules
Some employers round pro-rated entitlements up to the nearest half day, others round to the nearest whole day, and some don't round at all. Where your contract is silent on rounding, ask your HR team — rounding in your favour is common practice but not universal.
Carry-over limits
Many employers allow you to carry a limited number of days into the following year — typically between 5 and 10 days. Some organisations operate a hard "use it or lose it" rule where unused days expire on a fixed date. Always check your employee handbook before relying on carry-over.
US vs UK rules
In the US, there is no federal law requiring paid vacation — entitlement is entirely employer-determined, and the average is around 10 days after one year of service. In the UK, workers are entitled to a statutory minimum of 28 days (including public holidays) under the Working Time Regulations. This calculator works for any entitlement; simply enter your actual number of days.
Results are estimates based on your inputs. Actual entitlement may vary based on your contract, employer policy, and local law. Not legal or HR advice.
Frequently asked questions
Start with your total annual entitlement, add any days carried over from the previous year, then subtract days already taken and any booked-but-not-yet-taken days. The formula is: Remaining = (Entitlement + Carry-over) − Used − Pending.