Reviewed by Mustafa Bilgic
Founder, WebCalculator
Bank holiday dates and statutory leave entitlements per GOV.UK (gov.uk/bank-holidays). Enhanced pay rates are contractual, not statutory. Not legal or financial advice.
The bank holiday pay calculator works out what you earn for working a UK bank holiday. Enter your hourly rate and the enhancement your contract offers — standard rate, time-and-a-half or double time — to see your pay for that day and the annual total if you work every bank holiday in your region.
Standard, time-and-a-half or double
UK employment law gives every worker a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid annual leave (28 days for a full-time, 5-day-a-week worker). Employers can include bank holidays within those 28 days. There is no separate legal right to paid bank holidays, and no law requiring enhanced pay for working on one.
In practice, most employment contracts or collective agreements do offer either:
| Region | Number | Key extra dates |
|---|---|---|
| England & Wales | 8 | — |
| Scotland | 9 | St Andrew's Day (30 Nov) |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | St Patrick's (17 Mar), Battle of the Boyne (13 Jul) |
Part-time workers receive a pro-rata share of the 28-day (5.6-week) statutory minimum. If you work 3 days a week, your total entitlement is 3 × 5.6 = 16.8 days. Your employer can include bank holidays in that figure. If a bank holiday falls on a day you don't normally work, you have no automatic right to a substitute day — but many contracts provide one. Use the holiday pay calculator for a full annual-leave breakdown.
The holiday pay calculator covers full annual-leave entitlement. For your overall pay breakdown, try the hourly wage calculator or the overtime calculator for time-and-a-half on regular overtime.
There is no UK legal right to extra pay for working a bank holiday. Whether you receive time-and-a-half, double time or a day in lieu depends entirely on your employment contract. Many employers do offer enhanced rates, but they are not required to by law.
England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026, Scotland has 9, and Northern Ireland has 10. The extra Scottish holiday is St Andrew's Day (30 November), and Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (13 July).
Part-time workers are entitled to a pro-rata share of 28 days statutory leave (5.6 weeks), which includes bank holidays. If you work 3 days a week, your total entitlement is 3 times 5.6 equals 16.8 days. Your employer can count bank holidays within that figure.
Yes. There is no automatic right to take bank holidays off in the UK. Your employer can require you to work bank holidays provided your contract allows it and you still receive your full 5.6 weeks statutory holiday over the year.
Time-and-a-half means you are paid 1.5 times your normal hourly rate for each hour worked on the bank holiday. For example, if your normal rate is £15 an hour, time-and-a-half pays £22.50 an hour.
They can. UK law gives workers 5.6 weeks paid leave (28 days for full-time). Your employer can include bank holidays within those 28 days, or offer them on top. Check your contract to see which applies.