Pay
£12.71 an hour and 5.6 weeks off: pay and leave basics for 2026
The minimum wage rose again in April, and sick pay changed the same week. Here are the numbers that set the floor for every job.
Minimum wage
| Period | 21 and over | 18–20 | Under 18 | Apprentice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From April 2026 | £12.71 | £10.85 | £8.00 | £8.00 |
| April 2025 – March 2026 | £12.21 | £10.00 | £7.55 | £7.55 |
| April 2024 – March 2025 | £11.44 | £8.60 | £6.40 | £6.40 |
The apprentice rate applies if you’re under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. After that, you get the rate for your age. Rates change on 1 April each year.
Holiday
Almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. On a five-day week that’s 28 days, the maximum; your employer can include bank holidays in it. Part-time workers get 5.6 weeks too, so fewer days. If your hours are irregular, including on a zero-hours contract, holiday builds up in proportion to the hours you work.
Workplace pension
Your employer must automatically enrol you in a workplace pension if you work in the UK, are aged 22 or over and under State Pension age, and earn at least £10,000 a year. The minimum contribution is 8% in total, of which at least 3% comes from your employer, usually on earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 a year.
Statutory Sick Pay
From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is paid from the first day you’re off sick, and the lower earnings limit has gone, so it no longer depends on how much you earn. It’s £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Zero-hours contracts
Employers can’t stop zero-hours workers from working for someone else; such “exclusivity clauses” are banned, and you can ignore one. New rights, including guaranteed hours and reasonable notice of shifts, come in under the Employment Rights Act 2025, but GOV.UK says they aren’t in force yet. The government expects them in 2027.
Sources
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage ratesGOV.UK, 2026
- Holiday entitlementGOV.UK, accessed 2026
- Workplace pensions: what you, your employer and the government payGOV.UK, accessed 2026
- Sickness absences that start before and end on or after 6 April 2026GOV.UK, 2026
- Zero hours contracts: guidance for employersGOV.UK, 2026
- Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline updateDepartment for Business and Trade, 2026
This guide is general information, not legal advice. We checked the figures against these sources on 25 September 2026. Rules and rates change, so check the official source for your situation.