Time off work on bank and public holidays
Although many workers are given time off work on bank and public holidays, your employer is not required by law to allow you time off work on these days. And if they do give you the time off, they do not have to pay you for this time off. However, your contract of employment may give you the right to time off work on bank and public holidays. If so, it will also specify whether this time off will be paid or not.
Although there are some exceptions, most workers have the right to take 5.6 weeks' paid holiday from work. This is called statutory holiday.
To work out how many days paid statutory holiday you can take a year, you need to multiply 5.6 by the number of days you work in a week.
For example:
if you work a five-day week, you are entitled to 28 days' paid holiday a year (5.6 X 5).
if you work 2.5 days a week, you are entitled to 14 days' paid holiday a year (5.6 X 2.5).
The maximum amount of statutory paid holiday you can be entitled to is 28 days in one leave year. This applies even if you work more than five days a week.
If your employer gives you bank or public holidays off, they will count towards your statutory holiday unless your employment contract specifically says that you get bank or public holidays on top of your statutory holiday.
In England and Wales, there are eight bank and public holidays. In Scotland, there are nine bank and public holidays. In Northern Ireland, there are ten bank and public holidays.
Your employment contract may give you bank or public holidays off on top of your statutory holiday. For example, if you work five days a week, and get 28 days' holiday a year, you would get 28 days plus eight bank and public holidays. This makes a total of 36 days altogether. Your contract should tell you whether or not you are paid for the bank/public holidays.
Example 1: You work five days a week. Your contract says that you are entitled to 28 days' paid holiday a year. It also says you are entitled to take, and be paid, for eight bank and public holidays a year, on top of these days. This means that, in England and Wales, you will get 36 days' paid holiday a year (which is actually more than your statutory holiday).
Example 2: You work five days a week. Your contract says you are only entitled to 28 days' paid holiday in total. You are therefore not entitled to bank and public holidays on top of these 28 days. If you want to take them off, or if you have to take them off, you have to take them out of your 28 days off. In England and Wales, this leaves you 20 days that you can choose when to take off.
Example 3: You work five days a week. Your contract says nothing about holidays at all. You are entitled to 28 days' statutory paid holiday a year but you don’t have the right to take off bank and public holidays or to be paid for them. If your employer allows you to take them off, they come off your 28 days' statutory paid holiday, unless you and your employer agree something different.
Even if your contract says nothing about bank and public holidays, you may still have the right to have bank and public holidays off in addition to your statutory holiday if it's usual for others at your workplace to be given these days off in addition to their statutory holiday. If you think you are in this situation, get expert advice about what to do.
There are special rules for shop-workers in England and Wales who work in large shops (over 280 square feet). If you work in one of these shops, you must be given Christmas Day off, regardless of which day it falls on. However, whether or not you will be paid will depend on your contract of employment.
For more information about your right to take paid leave from work, see How much paid holiday you can take in Holidays and holiday pay.
If you are unsure whether you have the right to take time off work on bank and public holidays, you should talk to an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
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Dates of bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
The expected dates for bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2010 and 2011 are shown in the tables below. When the usual date of a bank or public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute day is given, normally the following Monday. For example in 2010, Boxing Day is actuallyon Sunday, 26 December, so there is a substitute bank holiday on Tuesday, 28 December.
Bank/public holidays in England and Wales
2010 2011
New Year’s Day 1 January 3 January
Good Friday 2 April 22 April
Easter Monday 5 April 25 April
Royal wedding --- 29 April
Early May Bank Holiday 3 May 2 May
Spring Bank Holiday 31 May 30 May
Summer Bank Holiday 30 August 29 August
Christmas Day 27 December 27 December
Boxing Day 28 December 26 December
Bank/public holidays in Northern Ireland
2010 2011
New Year's Day (or instead of 1 Jan 1 January 3 January
St Patrick's Day 17 March 17 March
Good Friday 2 April 22 April
Easter Monday 5 April 25 April
Royal wedding --- 29 April
Early May Bank Holiday 3 May 2 May
Spring Bank Holiday 31 May 30 May
Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) 12 July 12 July
Summer Bank Holiday 30 August 29 August
Christmas Day 27 December 26 December
Boxing Day 28 December 27 December
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Dates of bank and public holidays in Scotland
The expected dates for bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2010 and 2011 are shown in the tables below.
When the usual date of a bank or public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute day is given, normally the following Monday. For example in 2009, Boxing Day is actually on Saturday, 26 December, so there is a substitute bank holiday on Monday, 28 December.
Businesses and schools are not necessarily closed on Scottish bank holidays, and the Scottish banks follow the English and Welsh bank holidays for business reasons. You can find more information about Scottish bank holidays on the Scottish government website at:
Scottish Government: Web page currently unavailable..
Bank holidays in Scotland
2010 2011
New Year's Day 1 January 3 January
New Year 4 January 4 January
Good Friday 2 April 22 April
Royal wedding --- 29 April
Early May Bank Holiday 3 May 2 May
Spring Bank Holiday 31 May 30 May
Summer Bank Holiday 2 August 1 August
St Andrew's Day Bank Holiday 30 November 30 November
Christmas Day 27 December 26 December
Boxing Day