This is for small employers in the UK working out what staff get on a bank holiday: whether it is paid, what happens if someone works it, and how part-time staff fit in. It covers regular-hours staff; our post on holiday pay for zero-hours staff covers the 12.07% accrual for irregular hours.
Do you have to pay staff for bank holidays?
Not as extra paid days. GOV.UK says bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave, and an employer can choose to include them as part of a worker's statutory annual leave. What you must give is 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days.
So there are two common set-ups, and the contract should say which one you use:
- Bank holidays included: 28 days a year in total for a five-day week, of which the bank holidays are part. In England and Wales in 2027 that is 20 days to book plus 8 bank holidays.
- Bank holidays on top: 28 days to book plus the bank holidays, so 36 paid days in England and Wales in 2027. This is more than the legal minimum.
Acas notes that the number of bank holidays in a leave year can change with the date of Easter, and that an extra one-off bank holiday is only covered if the contract provides for it.
Bank holiday dates for 2027
| Date | England and Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 January | New Year's Day | New Year's Day | New Year's Day |
| Mon 4 January | - | 2nd January (substitute day) | - |
| Wed 17 March | - | - | St Patrick's Day |
| Fri 26 March | Good Friday | Good Friday | Good Friday |
| Mon 29 March | Easter Monday | - | Easter Monday |
| Mon 3 May | Early May bank holiday | Early May bank holiday | Early May bank holiday |
| Mon 31 May | Spring bank holiday | Spring bank holiday | Spring bank holiday |
| Mon 12 July | - | - | Battle of the Boyne |
| Mon 2 August | - | Summer bank holiday | - |
| Mon 30 August | Summer bank holiday | - | Summer bank holiday |
| Tue 30 November | - | St Andrew's Day | - |
| Mon 27 December | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Christmas Day (substitute day) | Christmas Day (substitute day) |
| Tue 28 December | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Boxing Day (substitute day) |
That is 8 bank holidays in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. For the rest of 2026, Christmas Day is Friday 25 December and the Boxing Day substitute is Monday 28 December in all four nations.
How much do you pay for a bank holiday off?
When a bank holiday counts as statutory leave, it is paid like any other day of holiday: a day's share of a week's pay. For someone on regular hours and fixed pay, that is simply their normal pay for the day.
Where pay varies, GOV.UK says the first 4 weeks of statutory leave must be paid at the worker's normal rate, which includes commission, regular overtime and payments linked to length of service or qualifications, but usually not bonuses. A week's pay is then averaged over the previous 52 weeks in which the worker was paid. The holiday pay calculator works through those steps for you.
Is there extra pay for working on a bank holiday?
Only if the contract says so. There is no statutory premium for bank holiday work, so double time or time and a half is a contract term, not a legal minimum. Acas says whether a worker has to work bank holidays is up to the employer, and it often depends on the industry.
- If someone works a bank holiday that counts in their 28 days, they keep that day of leave to take another time. Acas is clear that workers must still get the full 5.6 weeks off, paid.
- A worker can ask to work the bank holiday and take a different day off; you don't have to agree.
- You can't pay a bank holiday in lieu of time off, except for untaken leave when someone leaves.
Part-time staff and bank holidays
Part-time staff get 5.6 weeks pro rata. GOV.UK's example: someone working 3 days a week gets at least 16.8 days a year. If a bank holiday falls on a day they don't normally work, Acas says you can't make them use holiday for it.
Because most bank holidays in England and Wales fall on a Monday (5 of the 8 in 2027), a part-timer who works Mondays loses more booked days to closures than one who doesn't. One way to keep it even is to give each part-timer a pro rata share of the bank holidays inside their 5.6 weeks and let them book the rest freely. Check the contract wording either way.
Closing at Christmas and keeping records
You can tell staff to take holiday on particular days, for example a Christmas shutdown. The notice must be at least twice as long as the leave you require: 4 days' notice for 2 days of required holiday. Check the contract first.
From 6 April 2026, GOV.UK says employers must keep records of annual leave and holiday pay for at least 6 years, including the days taken and the holiday pay paid. A payslip that shows holiday pay as its own line is part of that record.
Where PayDocs fits
PayDocs makes the payslip from your payroll figures. The generator has a one-tap "Holiday pay" earnings line, so a paid bank holiday can sit on its own row next to basic pay. PayDocs works out PAYE income tax, National Insurance and supported deductions for 2026/27 pay dates. You preview free and pay per payslip.
This is general information about UK rules for the 2026/27 tax year, as published on 8 October 2026. It is not tax or legal advice.
Questions
Do you have to pay staff for bank holidays?
Not as extra days. Bank holidays don't have to be paid leave, but workers must get 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, and employers can count bank holidays within it. The contract says which applies.
Is there extra pay for working on a bank holiday?
Only if the contract says so. UK law sets no premium for bank holiday work. If a worked bank holiday counts in the worker's 28 days, they take that day of leave another time.
How many bank holidays are there in 2027?
8 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland, according to GOV.UK's bank holidays page. Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2027 fall at a weekend, so the substitute days are 27 and 28 December.
Do part-time staff get bank holidays?
They get 5.6 weeks' paid holiday pro rata, for example 16.8 days for 3 days a week. If a bank holiday falls on a day they don't work, the employer can't make them use holiday for it.
Can I pay staff instead of giving bank holidays off?
No. Statutory leave, including bank holidays counted in it, can't be replaced with pay, except for leave left untaken when someone leaves the job.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement
- GOV.UK: Holiday entitlement, holiday pay
- GOV.UK: UK bank holidays
- Acas: Bank holidays and Christmas (updated 1 October 2026)
- Acas: Holiday entitlement (updated 1 October 2026)
Sources checked 8 October 2026. This article explains how pay documents work; it is not tax or legal advice.
