UK bank holidays 2026: dates, pay rules & employer guide

Introduction

The United Kingdom has 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland, and 10 in Northern Ireland in 2026, as listed on GOV.UK. "Bank holiday" is the usual UK label for public holidays, rooted in the Bank Holidays Act 1871 and the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, with some dates fixed by royal proclamation.

The main point for employers: UK law does not require employers to give paid leave on bank holidays. Entitlement comes from the contract. The law does require at least 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave; the contract says whether bank holidays count toward that total or are additional.

Key facts at a glance

Bank holidays in the United Kingdom 2026

England & Wales (8)

Scotland (9)

Scotland uses a different calendar: it observes 2 January and St Andrew's Day, does not observe Easter Monday, and its summer bank holiday is the first Monday in August (not the last).

Northern Ireland (10)

Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne (or its substitute). Some employment rules are devolved and can differ from Great Britain.

Employer and payroll obligations

Is there a legal right to take bank holidays off?

No. That surprises many international employers. There is no standalone statutory right to be off on bank holidays. The 5.6-week minimum under the Working Time Regulations 1998 does not have to be taken on those dates. Whether someone works or is off on a bank holiday is a contractual matter.

Most UK contracts do give bank holidays off, but the source of that right is the contract, not a general statute. Foreign employers should spell out bank holiday treatment clearly before people start.

Two common contract structures

Statutory floor: 5.6 weeks (28 days) for a five-day week. You may offer more, not less. Bank holidays can sit inside or outside that figure.

Structure A (common): 28 days including bank holidays (often 8 in England and Wales), leaving about 20 movable days. Compliant if the total is at least 28 days.

Structure B (more generous): A set number of days plus bank holidays (for example 20 days plus bank holidays), so total time off is at least the statutory minimum and often higher.

Holiday pay: what to include

For the basic four-week (EU-derived) part of statutory leave, pay should reflect normal remuneration, not only basic salary where the worker regularly gets commission, overtime, or similar. Get professional advice on your pay mix and record-keeping.

From April 2024, the Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023 changed how irregular hours and part-year workers accrue leave (including the 12.07% method) and allow rolled-up holiday pay in defined cases. Classify workers correctly.

Part-time workers and bank holidays

If a bank holiday falls on a day the employee does not usually work, you generally cannot force them to use that day from their holiday pot. Many bank holidays are Mondays, which can affect part-timers who do not work Mondays. Treat part-timers fairly on a pro-rata basis under the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000.

What this means for international employers

No automatic bank holiday entitlement: Unlike Germany, Spain, or the Netherlands, the UK does not give a blanket statutory right to those days off. The contract is decisive.

Three calendars: England and Wales share one list; Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. A team in London, Edinburgh, and Belfast needs three correct calendars in payroll and policies.

Scotland: No Easter Monday; 2 January and St Andrew's Day; summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August. These are material payroll differences.

Holiday pay risk: Underpayment claims (for example ignoring regular overtime or commission) remain common. The 2023 rules for irregular hours add another layer for compliance.

Companies without a UK entity often use an Employer of Record (EOR) to align contracts, nation-specific calendars, and holiday pay with UK law. Jackson & Frank provides EOR and outsourced HR and payroll across the UK.

Sources

• GOV.UK, bank holidays (all nations): gov.uk/bank-holidays
• GOV.UK, holiday entitlement rights: gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights
• Acas, bank holidays and Christmas: acas.org.uk
• Acas, how much holiday someone gets: acas.org.uk
• Working Time Regulations 1998: legislation.gov.uk
• Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, Schedule 1: legislation.gov.uk