Annual Leave Calculator 38 Hour Week – Simple Leave Accrual, Hours to Days & Pay Calculator (Australia 2026)
This simple annual leave calculator for Australia works for any working week — 38 hours, 40 hours, 30 hours, or custom hours. Calculate exactly how many hours of annual leave you accrue per week, how many days your leave balance represents, your annual leave pay with 17.5% leave loading, and the 12.07% casual leave method. All calculations are based on the National Employment Standards (NES) minimum entitlement of four weeks per year.
Calculate how much annual leave you accrue over any period, based on your contracted weekly hours. Works for full-time, part-time, and any custom work week.
Annual Leave Calculator 38 Hour Week — How It Works
This simple annual leave calculator covers every common Australian working arrangement. Whether you work a standard 38-hour week, a 40-hour week, a part-time 30-hour week, or any other contracted hours, this tool calculates your annual leave accrual, converts your hours balance into days, works out your leave pay with 17.5% leave loading, and compares common work week arrangements side by side.
All calculations are based on the National Employment Standards (NES) under the Fair Work Act 2009, which sets the minimum annual leave entitlement for Australian employees at four weeks per year of ordinary hours worked. Some shift workers and certain awards provide five weeks or more.
How Much Annual Leave Do You Accrue Per Week for 38 Hours?
For an employee working a standard 38-hour week, annual leave accrues at the following rate:
| Period | Hours Accrued | Days Equivalent | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per week | 2.923 hours | 0.385 days | 4 × 38 ÷ 52 |
| Per fortnight | 5.846 hours | 0.77 days | × 2 |
| Per month | 12.667 hours | 1.667 days | × 4.333 |
| Per quarter | 38 hours | 5 days | × 13 |
| Full year | 152 hours | 20 days (4 weeks) | 4 × 38 |
The per-week accrual figure of 2.923 hours is the number you will most often see on payslips for a standard full-time employee. At 7.6 ordinary hours per day (38 hours ÷ 5 days), 152 annual hours equals exactly 20 working days — four full calendar weeks of leave per year.
Annual Leave Accrual for 40-Hour and 30-Hour Weeks
The same formula applies to any contracted working week. Here is a comparison of the three most commonly searched work week arrangements in Australia:
| Work Week | Annual Hours (4 wks) | Accrual Per Week | Days/Year | Hours Per Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 hours/week | 120 hours | 2.308 hrs/wk | 20 days | 6.0 hrs |
| 38 hours/week (standard) | 152 hours | 2.923 hrs/wk | 20 days | 7.6 hrs |
| 40 hours/week | 160 hours | 3.077 hrs/wk | 20 days | 8.0 hrs |
| Part-time 20 hrs/wk | 80 hours | 1.538 hrs/wk | 20 days | 4.0 hrs |
Notice that every arrangement still results in 20 days of annual leave — because four weeks means four of your working weeks, regardless of how many hours you work in each week. A part-time employee working 20 hours per week takes 20 days of leave, but each of those days is only 4 hours long, so the total hours (80) are less than a full-time employee (152 hours for 38 hrs/wk).
How to Convert Annual Leave Hours Into Days in Australia
The most common source of confusion for Australian employees is that payslips and HR systems typically show annual leave balances in hours, not days. Converting your hours balance back into days requires knowing your ordinary hours per day:
Days = Leave Balance in Hours ÷ Ordinary Hours Per Day
Your ordinary hours per day depends on your contracted weekly hours and how many days per week you work:
- 38-hour week, 5 days: 38 ÷ 5 = 7.6 hours per day
- 40-hour week, 5 days: 40 ÷ 5 = 8.0 hours per day
- 30-hour week, 5 days: 30 ÷ 5 = 6.0 hours per day
- 30-hour week, 4 days: 30 ÷ 4 = 7.5 hours per day
Worked example: You have a leave balance of 114 hours and work a 38-hour week over 5 days. Your hours per day = 7.6. Days of leave = 114 ÷ 7.6 = 15 days (3 weeks of leave). If you work a 40-hour week instead, the same 114 hours ÷ 8.0 = 14.25 days.
How to Calculate Annual Leave Pay in Australia
Calculating what you will actually be paid when you take annual leave involves three components:
- Base leave pay: Hours of leave × your ordinary hourly rate.
- Leave loading (if applicable): Most modern awards require an additional 17.5% on top of your base leave pay. Some awards specify a higher amount — always check your specific award.
- Total leave pay: Base pay + leave loading (or base pay alone if no loading applies).
Example for a 38-hour week employee:
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Leave taken | 2 weeks × 38 hrs | 76 hours |
| Ordinary hourly rate | As per employment contract | $35.00/hr |
| Base leave pay | 76 × $35.00 | $2,660.00 |
| Leave loading (17.5%) | $2,660 × 17.5% | $465.50 |
| Total leave pay | $3,125.50 | |
| Effective pay per hour on leave | $3,125.50 ÷ 76 | $41.13/hr |
Leave loading is not universal — it applies where your award, enterprise agreement, or employment contract specifies it. Most employees covered by modern awards do receive 17.5% leave loading. If your contract does not reference an award or specify leave loading, you may not be entitled to it, though some employers pay it voluntarily.
What Is the 12.07% Method for Annual Leave?
The 12.07% method is a way of expressing annual leave entitlement as a percentage of hours worked, originally derived from UK holiday pay legislation (5.6 weeks ÷ 46.4 non-leave weeks = 12.07%). In Australia, this method is occasionally referenced by payroll systems for casual or irregular workers, but it is not the standard NES method.
Under the NES, Australian employees on fixed weekly hours accrue leave as 4 weeks of their ordinary hours per year — not as a percentage of hours worked. The equivalent Australian percentage is:
4 weeks ÷ 52 weeks = 7.69% of annual hours worked
The 12.07% figure does appear in some Australian payroll software imported from the UK or adapted for casual scenarios. If you see it on your payslip or in your employment documentation, the key questions are: does this result in at least 4 weeks of leave per year based on your contracted hours? If not, your employer may be underpaying your entitlement. If in doubt, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman or a registered employment lawyer.
Shift Workers and Five Weeks Annual Leave
Under the NES, employees who qualify as shift workers are entitled to five weeks of annual leave per year rather than four. The definition of a shift worker for this purpose is specific — it covers employees who are rostered on a regular rotation of shifts (including weekends and different starting times) and who may be required to work on public holidays. Not all employees who work shifts automatically qualify; the NES definition and your specific modern award need to be checked.
For a shift worker on a 38-hour week entitled to five weeks of leave, the annual entitlement is 190 hours (5 × 38), accruing at 3.654 hours per week. Use the calculator above and select "5 weeks (shift workers)" to calculate your specific figures.
Annual Leave for Part-Time Employees — Pro-Rata Calculation
Part-time employees in Australia accrue annual leave on a pro-rata basis based on their contracted hours. There is no separate pro-rata formula — the same formula as full-time employees applies, using the part-time employee's actual contracted weekly hours:
- Annual leave hours = 4 weeks × contracted hours per week
- Weekly accrual = contracted hours × 4 ÷ 52
A part-time employee working 20 hours over 5 days accrues 80 hours of leave per year (4 × 20). Each day of their leave uses 4 hours (20 ÷ 5). Taking four weeks of leave means four of their working weeks — 20 days at 4 hours each = 80 hours total. Their leave entitlement in days and weeks is the same as a full-time employee; only the hours differ because their working day is shorter.
Leave Loading — Who Gets It and How Is It Calculated?
Annual leave loading is an additional payment on top of base leave pay, intended to compensate employees for the loss of overtime, shift allowances, and other penalty payments they would have received had they been working instead of on leave. The standard rate specified by most modern awards is 17.5% of the employee's ordinary time rate.
However, some modern awards provide a choice between 17.5% leave loading and the employee's ordinary shift penalties — whichever is the greater amount. For employees who regularly work highly penalised shifts (for example, weekend shift workers), the shift penalty calculation may actually exceed 17.5%, in which case the higher amount applies.
Leave loading is not required by the NES itself — it is specified in awards and agreements. If your employment is not covered by a modern award or enterprise agreement that requires leave loading, your employer is not legally obliged to pay it, unless your individual contract specifies it.
Frequently Asked Questions — Annual Leave Australia
Q: How much annual leave do you accrue per week for 38 hours?
A: You accrue 2.923 hours of annual leave per week on a 38-hour work week. Over a full year (52 weeks), this totals 152 hours, which equals four weeks of leave at 38 ordinary hours per week.
Q: How do I calculate my annual leave pay?
A: Annual leave pay = (hours of leave × ordinary hourly rate) + 17.5% leave loading if your award requires it. For example, 38 hours × $35/hr = $1,330 base, plus $1,330 × 17.5% = $232.75 loading, giving a total leave pay of $1,562.75 for one week's leave.
Q: What is the 12.07% method for annual leave?
A: The 12.07% method originates from UK legislation (5.6 weeks ÷ 46.4 weeks = 12.07%) and is not the standard Australian NES method. In Australia, the correct entitlement is 4 weeks × ordinary weekly hours, accruing progressively. The Australian equivalent percentage is 7.69% of annual hours (4 ÷ 52). If your payroll uses 12.07%, verify it results in at least 4 weeks' entitlement.
Q: How do I convert my annual leave hours into days?
A: Divide your leave balance (in hours) by your ordinary hours per day. For a 38-hour, 5-day week: hours per day = 38 ÷ 5 = 7.6. A balance of 76 hours ÷ 7.6 = 10 days (two weeks). Use the Hours to Days tab above for any custom arrangement.
Q: Can annual leave be paid out instead of taken?
A: Under the NES, employees and employers can agree in writing to cash out annual leave, but only if the employee retains a minimum of four weeks of leave after the cash-out. Cashing out cannot be a condition of employment, and employers cannot pressure employees to cash out leave. Specific award conditions may further restrict or govern cash-out arrangements.
Q: Does annual leave accrue during periods of paid leave?
A: Yes. Annual leave continues to accrue during paid annual leave, paid personal/carer's leave, paid compassionate leave, paid community service leave, and paid public holidays. Annual leave does not accrue during unpaid leave (such as unpaid parental leave or unpaid sick leave) unless your award or contract specifically provides for this.
Q: How much notice must an employer give before directing an employee to take annual leave?
A: The NES does not specify a set notice period for employer-directed leave, but most modern awards require reasonable notice — commonly between four weeks and eight weeks. An employer can direct an employee to take leave if the employee has an excessive leave balance (typically defined as more than eight weeks in an award) and has been given reasonable notice to reduce that balance.
This calculator and content are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, payroll, or financial advice. Annual leave entitlements in Australia are governed by the Fair Work Act 2009, the National Employment Standards, and applicable modern awards or enterprise agreements, which may vary from the general figures shown here. Always check your specific award at fairwork.gov.au or consult a registered employment lawyer or HR professional for advice tailored to your situation.