Working Days – United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, statutory days off are known as bank holidays, a term defined by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. England and Wales observe eight bank holidays per year, while Scotland and Northern Ireland have different and slightly more extensive sets. HR and payroll teams must account for regional differences, substitute bank holiday rules, and contractual entitlements when calculating working days.
Annual summary
| Other year | Working days | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 254 | |
| 2026 | 254 | |
| 2027 | 254 | |
| 2028 | 253 |
Need to calculate business days between two specific dates? United Kingdom business days calculator
Holiday rules and practice in United Kingdom
How public holidays work in United Kingdom, and what that means when you count working days.
- Standard work week
- Monday–Friday
- 40 hours per week
- Substitute days
- Yes
- When Christmas Day (Dec 25) or Boxing Day (Dec 26) fall on a Saturday or Sunday, substitute bank holidays are given on the following Monday and/or Tuesday. Similarly, if New Year's Day falls on a weekend, a Monday substitute is given.
- Regional variation
- Yes
- England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have different sets of bank holidays. Scotland has more holidays (e.g. 2nd January, St Andrew's Day). Northern Ireland has additional days (e.g. St Patrick's Day, Battle of the Boyne). This calculator shows England & Wales bank holidays.
Bank holidays
'Bank Holiday' is the OFFICIAL legal term for public holidays in the UK — defined by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. The term does not just refer to bank closures; it means a statutory day off for the general public.
Local terminology
| Working day | working day |
|---|---|
| Public holiday | bank holiday |
| Substitute day | substitute bank holiday |
Worth knowing
- The UK has 8 bank holidays per year in England & Wales.
- Good Friday and Christmas Day are 'common law holidays' — they existed before the 1971 Act.
- There is no 'Labour Day' / 'May Day' on May 1 — the Early May Bank Holiday is the first Monday in May.
- Since Brexit, the UK is no longer aligned with EU holiday patterns.
- New Year's Eve (Dec 31) is not a bank holiday in England & Wales.
Frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays do employees in England and Wales receive each year?
England and Wales have eight bank holidays per year. These include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Early May bank holiday, the Spring bank holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Employees are not automatically entitled to paid time off on these days — it depends on what their contract states.
Do Scotland and Northern Ireland follow the same bank holiday schedule as England and Wales?
No — Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own distinct bank holiday schedules. Scotland observes additional days such as 2nd January and St Andrew's Day, while Northern Ireland includes St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne. Payroll teams managing employees across different UK regions must apply the correct regional calendar for each employee.
What happens when Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a weekend?
When Christmas Day or Boxing Day fall on a Saturday or Sunday, substitute bank holidays are given on the following Monday and, if necessary, Tuesday. For example, if Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, both the Monday and Tuesday of the following week become substitute bank holidays. Payroll systems should be configured to recognise substitute days as they affect working day counts and pay calculations.
Are employees legally entitled to take bank holidays as paid leave?
There is no automatic legal right to take bank holidays as paid leave in the UK — entitlement depends entirely on the employee's contract of employment. Many employers include bank holidays within the statutory minimum annual leave allowance of 5.6 weeks, while others offer them on top. HR teams should ensure contracts clearly state whether bank holidays are included in or additional to annual leave entitlement.
Is there a May Day or Labour Day bank holiday on 1 May in the UK?
No — the UK does not observe a fixed public holiday on 1 May. Instead, the Early May bank holiday falls on the first Monday in May each year. This means the date shifts annually and should not be treated as a fixed date when configuring payroll or HR calendars.