What Are The Public Holidays in The United Kingdom in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in the United Kingdom (2026)

The United Kingdom observes a set of fixed and variable public holidays, known as "bank holidays," which differ slightly across England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The dates below are confirmed for 2026. Employers should be aware of the regional differences when managing a workforce across multiple UK nations.

Note: Where a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is usually designated. Employers in Scotland should note that some Scottish bank holidays differ from the rest of the UK. Always verify dates with the UK Government's official bank holiday calendar at gov.uk.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

In the United Kingdom, there is no statutory right for employees to take bank holidays as paid leave. However, workers are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave per year (pro-rated for part-time workers) under the Working Time Regulations 1998, and many employers count bank holidays as part of this entitlement.

Whether an employee must be given a bank holiday off (paid or unpaid) depends entirely on their employment contract. Common contractual arrangements include:

• "25 days plus bank holidays" — the most typical wording, giving employees bank holidays on top of their core annual leave entitlement.
• "28 days inclusive of bank holidays" — bank holidays are counted within the total leave allowance.
• No specific mention — the employer has discretion, subject to the statutory minimum being met.

Employees who are required to work on a bank holiday are not entitled to additional pay by law unless their contract provides for it. However, many employers — particularly in retail, healthcare, and hospitality — offer enhanced rates (e.g. time-and-a-half or double time) or a day off in lieu as a contractual benefit or by custom and practice.

Part-time workers must not be treated less favourably than full-time workers. They are entitled to a pro-rata share of bank holidays, and if bank holidays consistently fall on days they do not work, employers should consider providing alternative leave to avoid indirect discrimination.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

UK holiday entitlement is enforced primarily under the Working Time Regulations 1998 and the Employment Rights Act 1996. Employees who are denied their statutory leave entitlement can bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal, typically within three months of the breach (or the last in a series of breaches).

Potential consequences for employers include:

• Employment Tribunal awards for unlawful deduction of wages (where unpaid holiday pay constitutes a deduction from wages).
• Back-pay liability for unpaid holiday pay, which can extend back several years if there is a series of linked deductions (following Bear Scotland v Fulton and subsequent case law).
• HMRC investigation if holiday pay irregularities are identified during a National Minimum Wage or payroll audit.
• Reputational risk and claims of constructive dismissal if employees resign due to systemic holiday pay failures.

Common employer mistakes include failing to include regular overtime or commission in holiday pay calculations (required under EU-derived case law retained in UK law), misclassifying workers as self-employed to avoid leave obligations, and applying inconsistent bank holiday policies across comparable employees.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, the default maximum working week is 48 hours averaged over a 17-week reference period, though workers can opt out in writing. Bank holidays do not reduce this threshold, they are simply days on which hours may or may not be worked.

Key points for overtime and bank holiday interaction:

• Holiday pay must reflect normal remuneration. UK case law (building on Williams v British Airways and Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust) confirms that statutory holiday pay must include regular overtime, shift allowances, and other regular payments — not just basic pay.
• No statutory premium for bank holiday work. There is no legal requirement to pay a higher rate for working on a bank holiday unless the contract specifies one. Any enhanced rate is purely contractual.
• Hours worked on bank holidays count toward the 48-hour weekly limit and toward any contractual overtime thresholds.
• Lieu days and compensatory rest must be granted in a timely manner where required by contract or collective agreement, and the employer should document these clearly.

For shift-based and part-time staff, maintaining accurate time records is essential. HMRC and Employment Tribunals can request detailed payroll and attendance records, and poor record-keeping is often an aggravating factor in compliance investigations. Employment contracts, rota systems, and payroll configurations should all be reviewed to ensure bank holiday rules are consistently and correctly applied.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays and leave rules in the United Kingdom doesn’t have to be complex. Playroll keeps you 100% compliant by automatically tracking local holidays, observed days, and pay requirements –  so your team is paid correctly and on time, every time.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, Playroll lets you employ talent without setting up a local entity. We handle compliant contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform, so you can reduce compliance risk and focus on growing your business while we take care of the heavy-lifting in the background. Book a chat with our team to get started.