Public holidays—also known as bank holidays—are a key part of the UK calendar, but many employees are unclear on how they affect their annual leave. A common question is: do I have to use my annual leave for public holidays, or are they separate?
The answer depends on your employment contract and how your employer handles holiday entitlement. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Public holidays may be included in your annual leave entitlement
In the UK, full-time employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday per year. This works out as 28 days if you work a five-day week. However, there’s no legal right to have paid time off on public holidays in addition to this entitlement.
Your employer can choose to:
- Count public holidays as part of your annual leave entitlement
- Offer public holidays on top of your statutory leave
- Require you to work public holidays and take alternative leave later
Your employment contract or staff handbook should explain which arrangement applies to you.
2. If public holidays are included in your entitlement, they reduce your leave balance
Some contracts state that your annual leave includes public holidays. In this case, public holidays are deducted from your total leave allowance. For example:
- If you’re entitled to 28 days of annual leave including bank holidays, and there are 8 bank holidays in a year, you’ll have 20 days left to book off at other times.
In this situation, you are effectively using annual leave for public holidays, even if the days are pre-allocated.
3. If public holidays are additional, they do not use your annual leave
Other employers provide public holidays in addition to your annual leave entitlement. For example:
- “You are entitled to 28 days of annual leave, plus public holidays.”
In this case, you get the full 28 days to book at your discretion, and public holidays do not count against your annual leave.
This arrangement is common in some public sector roles and larger companies, but is not a legal requirement.
4. What if you work on public holidays?
If your role requires you to work on public holidays, you are not automatically entitled to extra pay or time off in lieu—unless your contract or employer’s policy states otherwise.
In these cases, your employer may allow you to take a different day off instead, or provide enhanced pay for working those days, but this is at their discretion.
5. Part-time and irregular hours workers
If you work part-time or irregular hours, your entitlement to public holidays is usually pro-rated. You may not automatically get public holidays off if they fall on days you don’t usually work. Instead, your employer may add the equivalent entitlement to your overall leave balance.
In summary
- You may have to use annual leave for public holidays if your contract includes them within your statutory entitlement.
- If your contract offers public holidays on top of your annual leave, you do not use up your leave for them.
- Always check your employment contract or staff handbook to understand how public holidays affect your leave entitlement.
At Offdays.co.uk, we’re here to help you navigate your leave entitlement, plan your time off strategically, and make the most of every break. Explore more of our guides for practical advice on managing your annual leave.
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