Bank Holidays in the United Kingdom
Bank holidays in the UK are special days that commemorate events of religious or cultural/historical significance. While many workplaces close for the day, restaurants, pubs, and shops often remain open, sometimes with reduced hours.
These holidays are part of the 5.6 weeks of statutory paid time off that every full-time employee in the UK is entitled to.
If a bank holiday occurs on a weekend, a "substitute" weekday, usually the following Monday, becomes a bank holiday.
Employers, however, are not obligated to provide paid leave on bank or public holidays, and they may decide whether employees are required to work on these days. This information should be clarified in your employment contract.
Bank holidays in England, Wales, Scotland and Northen Ireland in 2023
Depending on where you live in the UK, the number of bank holidays you get will be slightly different:
- England and Wales have 8 bank holidays per year
- Scotland has a couple of extra bank holidays, 9 in total — the 2nd January (Hogmanay) and the 30th November (St Andrew’s day, the Patron Saint of Scotland), but they don’t celebrate Easter Monday (only Good Friday).
- Northern Ireland has the most bank holidays, marking all the same ones as England and Wales, as well the 17th March (St Patrick’s Day) and the 12th July (the Battle of Boyne).
England and Wales 2023 bank holiday dates
- Monday, January 2 - New Year's Day (replacement bank holiday)
- Friday, April 7 - Good Friday
- Monday, April 10 - Easter Monday
- Monday, May 1 - Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 8 - Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
- Monday, May 29 - Spring bank holiday
- Monday, August 28 – Summer bank holiday
- Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Tuesday, December 26 – Boxing Day
Scotland bank 2023 holiday dates
- Monday, January 2
- Tuesday, January 3 - New Year's Day (replacement bank holiday)
- Friday, April 7 – Good Friday
- Monday, May 1 – Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 8 – Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
- Monday, May 29– Spring bank holiday
- Monday, August 7 – Summer bank holiday
- Thursday, November 30 – St Andrew’s Day
- Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Tuesday, December 26– Boxing Day
Northern Ireland 2023 bank holidays
- Monday, January 2 - New Year's Day (replacement bank holiday)
- Friday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
- Friday, April 7 – Good Friday
- Monday, April 10 – Easter Monday
- Monday, May 1 – Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 8 – Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
- Monday, May 29 – Spring bank holiday
- Wednesday, 12 July – Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)
- Monday, 28 August – Summer bank holiday
- Monday, December 25– Christmas Day
- Tuesday, December 26– Boxing Day
Bank Holidays: Regular Annual Leave or Additional Days Off?
Bank holidays can be treated in two ways by your employer:
- Deducted from your annual leave allowance, meaning you must take all bank holidays as paid time off.
- Counted as extra holiday days, for which you may or may not be paid.
There have been discussions about giving employees the choice to treat bank holidays as extra days off rather than automatic non-working days. Since many UK bank holidays are tied to Christian events (e.g., Christmas and Easter), some individuals might prefer to take time off for events related to their own faith (e.g., Diwali, Eid, Yom Kippur) or to generally to have more agency over when to book these days.
Your employment contract should specify how bank holidays are treated. If it doesn't, bank holidays will automatically be deducted from your annual leave allowance.
Bank Holidays for Part-Time Workers
If your workplace closes on bank holidays and you typically work on those days, you'll need to take them as paid time off. As a part-time worker, you're entitled to fewer statutory holiday days per year compared to full-time employees. Consequently, you'll have less flexibility when choosing when to take time off.
For example, if you work one day a week (Monday), you're entitled to 5.6 days of annual leave each year. With four bank holidays falling on Mondays, you'll need to use four days of your annual leave on these holidays, leaving you with 1.6 days to use at your discretion.
However, if you worked on Tuesdays, when there are no bank holidays, you would have all 5.6 days of annual leave to take when you choose.
While there's no law preventing employers from following this approach, you might be able to negotiate different terms. For instance, you could ask not to be paid on bank holidays and instead be given paid time off on other days of your choice.
Bank Holidays in the United Kingdom
Bank holidays in the UK are special days that commemorate events of religious or cultural/historical significance. While many workplaces close for the day, restaurants, pubs, and shops often remain open, sometimes with reduced hours.
These holidays are part of the 5.6 weeks of statutory paid time off that every full-time employee in the UK is entitled to.
If a bank holiday occurs on a weekend, a "substitute" weekday, usually the following Monday, becomes a bank holiday.
Employers, however, are not obligated to provide paid leave on bank or public holidays, and they may decide whether employees are required to work on these days. This information should be clarified in your employment contract.
Bank holidays in England, Wales, Scotland and Northen Ireland in 2023
Depending on where you live in the UK, the number of bank holidays you get will be slightly different:
- England and Wales have 8 bank holidays per year
- Scotland has a couple of extra bank holidays, 9 in total — the 2nd January (Hogmanay) and the 30th November (St Andrew’s day, the Patron Saint of Scotland), but they don’t celebrate Easter Monday (only Good Friday).
- Northern Ireland has the most bank holidays, marking all the same ones as England and Wales, as well the 17th March (St Patrick’s Day) and the 12th July (the Battle of Boyne).
England and Wales 2023 bank holiday dates
- Monday, January 2 - New Year's Day (replacement bank holiday)
- Friday, April 7 - Good Friday
- Monday, April 10 - Easter Monday
- Monday, May 1 - Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 8 - Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
- Monday, May 29 - Spring bank holiday
- Monday, August 28 – Summer bank holiday
- Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Tuesday, December 26 – Boxing Day
Scotland bank 2023 holiday dates
- Monday, January 2
- Tuesday, January 3 - New Year's Day (replacement bank holiday)
- Friday, April 7 – Good Friday
- Monday, May 1 – Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 8 – Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
- Monday, May 29– Spring bank holiday
- Monday, August 7 – Summer bank holiday
- Thursday, November 30 – St Andrew’s Day
- Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
- Tuesday, December 26– Boxing Day
Northern Ireland 2023 bank holidays
- Monday, January 2 - New Year's Day (replacement bank holiday)
- Friday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day
- Friday, April 7 – Good Friday
- Monday, April 10 – Easter Monday
- Monday, May 1 – Early May bank holiday
- Monday, May 8 – Bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
- Monday, May 29 – Spring bank holiday
- Wednesday, 12 July – Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)
- Monday, 28 August – Summer bank holiday
- Monday, December 25– Christmas Day
- Tuesday, December 26– Boxing Day
Bank Holidays: Regular Annual Leave or Additional Days Off?
Bank holidays can be treated in two ways by your employer:
- Deducted from your annual leave allowance, meaning you must take all bank holidays as paid time off.
- Counted as extra holiday days, for which you may or may not be paid.
There have been discussions about giving employees the choice to treat bank holidays as extra days off rather than automatic non-working days. Since many UK bank holidays are tied to Christian events (e.g., Christmas and Easter), some individuals might prefer to take time off for events related to their own faith (e.g., Diwali, Eid, Yom Kippur) or to generally to have more agency over when to book these days.
Your employment contract should specify how bank holidays are treated. If it doesn't, bank holidays will automatically be deducted from your annual leave allowance.
Bank Holidays for Part-Time Workers
If your workplace closes on bank holidays and you typically work on those days, you'll need to take them as paid time off. As a part-time worker, you're entitled to fewer statutory holiday days per year compared to full-time employees. Consequently, you'll have less flexibility when choosing when to take time off.
For example, if you work one day a week (Monday), you're entitled to 5.6 days of annual leave each year. With four bank holidays falling on Mondays, you'll need to use four days of your annual leave on these holidays, leaving you with 1.6 days to use at your discretion.
However, if you worked on Tuesdays, when there are no bank holidays, you would have all 5.6 days of annual leave to take when you choose.
While there's no law preventing employers from following this approach, you might be able to negotiate different terms. For instance, you could ask not to be paid on bank holidays and instead be given paid time off on other days of your choice.
