Buying Annual Leave Calculator

Direct answer

Buying annual leave usually reduces pay in exchange for extra paid time off, so the useful comparison is monthly take-home impact versus days gained.

• Gross salary sacrifice or deduction
• Days bought
• Monthly take-home impact
• Employer policy

How to compare it

The useful comparison starts with money, then adds time. A job may pay more on paper but still feel weaker if it creates more unpaid travel, more unpaid overtime, higher unavoidable costs or worse flexibility. A lower salary may also be weaker if the time saved does not offset the lost take-home pay.

Worked example

Imagine one option improves estimated take-home pay by £180 a month but adds £90 of travel cost and six hours of commute time. The cash improvement is only £90 before valuing the time. If the role also has weaker pension contributions or less annual leave, the headline pay rise may be less attractive than it first looked.

Decision checklist

Related WorthMyTime routes

Related next-step routes

These follow-on pages keep the same decision practical when the question becomes more specific.

Methodology and limits

WorthMyTime separates gross value, estimated take-home value, working time, commute time and unavoidable work costs. Where tax estimates are used, they follow the site's 2026/27 England, Wales and Northern Ireland assumptions. Scottish Income Tax and employer-specific policies are not modelled unless stated.

• GOV.UK Income Tax rates and allowances
• GOV.UK employer rates and thresholds 2026/27
• GOV.UK overtime rights
• Acas pay for working extra hours
• GOV.UK holiday entitlement

FAQ