UK Bank Holiday Entitlement
Bank holidays are not a separate statutory right in the UK — whether you get them off depends entirely on your contract.
Mid-year joiner, leaver, or above-statutory entitlement
Your entitlement
28 days(210 hours)
Annual entitlement. Statutory minimum is 28 days.
5 days per week × 5.6 weeks (statutory minimum) = 28 days per year Your contract treats bank holidays as part of this total — book them as you would any other day off.
What the law says (and doesn't)
The Working Time Regulations 1998 give every UK worker 5.6 weeks of paid leave a year. They say nothing specific about bank holidays. That means: bank holidays count toward the 5.6 weeks unless the contract says otherwise.
So if your contract says “28 days' annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays,” you have 20 working days you can freely book, with the bank holidays effectively pre-booked for you. If it says “25 days plus bank holidays,” the bank holidays are on top — your total time off is 33 days a year.
UK bank holidays by region
- England & Wales— 8 bank holidays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, early May, spring (late May), summer (last Monday August), Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
- Scotland— 9: as above but with 2nd January and St Andrew's Day added, no Easter Monday, and the summer bank holiday is the first Monday of August.
- Northern Ireland— 10: all the E&W ones plus St Patrick's Day (17 March) and Battle of the Boyne (12 July).
For a full breakdown of UK bank holiday dates by year and region see our sister site.
Working on a bank holiday
If you're asked to work on a bank holiday, the law does not require extra pay. Whether you get time-and-a-half, double time, or a day in lieu depends on your contract. Many sectors customarily enhance pay (retail, hospitality, healthcare) but it's contractual, not statutory.
Frequently asked questions
Am I legally entitled to time off on bank holidays?+
No. Bank holidays are not a separate statutory right. They can count toward the 5.6 weeks if the contract says so, or be given on top. The contract is what governs.
If I work a bank holiday, do I get paid extra?+
Only if your contract says so. Many do (time and a half, double time, or a day off in lieu) but the law does not require enhanced pay just because the day is a bank holiday.
Do bank holidays count toward the 5.6 weeks?+
It depends on your contract. 'Inclusive of bank holidays' means yes; '+ bank holidays' means no. If silent, the default is usually inclusive but it's worth getting clarity from your employer in writing.