Assumptions and pay data
Pay data: NHS Agenda for Change. Band 2: one rate of £25,272, rates from 1/4/2026. Checked 9/10/2026.
- Full time is 37.5 hours a week, the standard NHS week under Agenda for Change (AfC) section 10.1.
- A 4-day week counts as 80% of full time and a 9-day fortnight as 90%: fewer hours for less pay. Compressed hours, where you work all 37.5 hours in fewer, longer days, keep full pay, so they need no calculation.
- Term-time only pay is your paid weeks over 52: the weeks you work plus your paid holiday. The box opens at 44.6 weeks (39 term weeks plus 5.6 weeks' holiday), 85.8% of full time, or £21,676 at £25,272.
- Annualised hours divide your yearly hours by 37.5 × 52 = 1,950. The box opens at 1,400 hours, 71.8% of full time, or £18,144 at £25,272. Annualised hours and Custom FTE stop at 95%.
- Figures are gross, before tax, National Insurance and pension.
Reduced/Compressed Hours Calculator
EnglandNHS Agenda for Change employersFramework from 1/4/2026
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Guide for Healthcare Assistant
This guide explains reduced and compressed working patterns for Healthcare Assistant on Band 2 at NHS. Not every employer offers every pattern; use this for pay impact, then confirm eligibility with HR.
Reduced hours for Healthcare Assistant
This page models named patterns (four-day week, nine-day fortnight, term-time only, annualised hours) for Healthcare Assistant on Band 2 at NHS. Pay is pro-rated from full-time NHS Agenda for Change basic pay unless your contract uses a different formula.
Reduced and compressed hours
A four-day week is typically 0.8 FTE. A nine-day fortnight is 0.9 FTE (nine working days in ten). Term-time-only staff are paid for the weeks they work plus their paid holiday, spread across the year. Annualised hours contracts spread agreed hours across the year rather than fixed weekly patterns.
Employer variation
Not every employer offers every pattern. Some use a 0.89 FTE term-time formula for support staff. The calculator uses straightforward pro-rata from full-time band pay; your payroll may differ.
Example scenario
Example: Band 2 at £25,272 full time. A 4-day week (80%) pays £20,218, the pattern the calculator opens on.
| Band / grade | Band 2 |
|---|---|
| Full-time gross (example) | £25,272 |
| At 0.8 FTE (example) | £20,218 |
| Annual difference vs full-time | £5,054 |
Frequently asked questions
Is a 4-day week the same as compressed hours?
No. Here a 4-day week means working 4 of your usual days, 80% of full time, so £25,272 becomes £20,218. Compressed hours means fitting your full 37.5 hours into 4 longer days, and your pay stays the same because your hours do not change.
What does a 9-day fortnight pay?
As reduced hours, 9 days in 10 is 90% of full time: £22,745 a year instead of £25,272, £2,527 less. If you work all 75 hours of the fortnight in 9 days instead, that is compressed hours and your pay does not change.
How is term-time only pay worked out?
From paid weeks: the weeks you work plus your paid holiday, divided by 52. With 39 term weeks and 5.6 weeks' holiday that is 44.6 weeks, 85.8% of full time, or £21,676 instead of £25,272. Your contract or payroll gives your exact number of paid weeks.
How do annualised hours work here?
You enter your contracted hours for the year and the calculator divides them by 1,950, which is 37.5 hours × 52 weeks. The 1,400 hours it opens with is 71.8% of full time, £18,144 a year. Anything above 95% of 1,950 hours is counted as 95%.
Do reduced hours change my leave and pension?
Yes, in proportion. Paid leave is pro-rated to your hours, and the annual leave calculator for a Healthcare Assistant works it out. Public service pensions are career average schemes, so your pension builds up on the pay you actually earn: 80% of the pay builds 80% of the pension for those years.
Are the results gross or net? Do you store my data?
Unless this page says otherwise, figures are gross (before tax, National Insurance and pension). Your calculator inputs and results stay in your browser and are not stored. We only collect your name and email if you choose to give them, for example to download your results or sign up for email updates. We store them with MailerLite, our email provider, along with the page you were on. See our privacy policy.
About this role
What is a Healthcare Assistant?
A Healthcare Assistant (HCA) supports nurses and other staff with personal care, observations, mobility and daily living. They work in hospitals, care homes and the community, often on Band 2 or 3. No registration is required but many gain NVQs or equivalent.
Typical demands, progression and balance
HCA roles offer direct patient contact and a route into nursing or other professions. Pay and progression depend on trust and band. Many progress to Band 3 (e.g. senior HCA) or train as nurses.
What about 4-day weeks or compressed hours?
Many employers support 4-day weeks, 9-day fortnights, term-time only or annualised hours. Use the calculator above to compare full-time pay with your chosen pattern for your band.
Disclaimer
Illustrative estimates, not financial or career advice. Your payslip and contract decide what you are actually paid.