Bank Holiday Entitlement (UK)
There is no separate legal right to bank holidays off. What you get depends on whether your employer counts them inside the 28 days or gives them on top — and on whether you work part-time. Here is the 2026 position.
Quick answer: bank holidays are not an extra legal right. Your employer can include the 8 bank holidays (England & Wales; 9 in Scotland, 10 in Northern Ireland) inside your 28-day statutory minimum. Part-time workers must get their bank holidays pro rata as flexible days, so they are not disadvantaged.
How many bank holidays in 2026?
| Nation | Bank holidays 2026 | Typical dates |
|---|---|---|
| England & Wales | 8 | New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, early May, spring, summer, Christmas, Boxing Day |
| Scotland | 9 | Includes 2 January and St Andrew's Day |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | Includes St Patrick's Day and the Twelfth |
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is normally designated — so the number of days you actually get off stays the same.
The two lawful arrangements
- Included: 28 days total, of which 8 are bank holidays, leaving 20 days you choose. This is the most common arrangement in the private sector.
- On top: 28 days you choose, plus bank holidays — 36 days in total. Common in the public sector and in many unionised workplaces.
Both are lawful. Your contract or staff handbook says which applies to you; if it says nothing, the safer reading is that the statutory 28-day minimum applies in total.
Part-time workers and bank holidays
This is where most underpayments happen. Bank holidays mostly fall on Mondays and Fridays, so a worker who never works Mondays can end up with far fewer bank holidays than a colleague — even though both are meant to receive 5.6 weeks.
The lawful approach is to calculate the part-timer's pro rata share of the bank holiday days and give them as flexible days. A 3-day-a-week worker is entitled to 4.8 bank holiday days' worth (8 × 3/5), regardless of which days they work.
If you have to work a bank holiday
You are not automatically entitled to extra pay. There is no statutory premium for bank holidays in the UK — time and a half on a bank holiday is a contractual term, not a legal right. What you are entitled to is 5.6 weeks of paid leave somewhere in the year, plus the National Minimum Wage for every hour worked.
Carrying bank holidays over
The 4 weeks of leave under regulation 13 can normally only be carried over in limited circumstances (sickness, family leave). The additional 1.6 weeks under regulation 13A can be carried over by agreement. Many employers allow unused bank holiday days to be taken by the end of the leave year — check your handbook rather than assuming.
Frequently asked questions
Are bank holidays included in 28 days?
Usually yes, at the employer's choice. The law requires 5.6 weeks of paid leave in total; bank holidays can count towards it.
Do I get extra pay for working a bank holiday?
Not by law. Any premium comes from your contract or a collective agreement.
How many bank holidays do part-time workers get?
Their pro rata share — 8 × (days worked ÷ 5). A 3-day worker gets the equivalent of 4.8 days.
Can my employer make me take bank holidays as part of my leave?
Yes, if the contract says bank holidays are included in your allowance. They must still give you notice and the total must reach 5.6 weeks.
What if a bank holiday falls on my day off?
For part-timers, your employer should adjust your allowance so you are not worse off. For full-timers it makes no difference to the total.