England and Wales have eight bank holidays a year, while Scotland and Northern Ireland have different sets. To count working days, take the calendar days between two dates, remove Saturdays and Sundays, then remove any bank holidays that fall on weekdays.
Doing this by hand is easy to get wrong around Christmas, Easter and substitute days, so a calculator is quicker for anything that matters, such as notice periods or delivery deadlines.
The UK’s bank holidays
The UK does not have one list. England and Wales have eight:
- New Year’s Day
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Early May bank holiday
- Spring bank holiday
- Summer bank holiday (last Monday of August)
- Christmas Day
- Boxing Day
Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Scotland has 2 January and St Andrew’s Day, among others, while Northern Ireland has St Patrick’s Day and 12 July. When a holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday is usually given. Check GOV.UK for the official list and for any one-off additions.
What counts as a working day?
A working day is normally Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. That is a common definition, but contracts and companies vary. Some treat Saturday as a working day, and some regions have a different working week, so always check the exact wording in your contract, lease or order terms.
Employers can treat bank holidays differently. Whether you are entitled to the day off, or to time off in lieu, depends on your contract, so check yours or GOV.UK.
How to count working days between two dates
By hand:
- Count the calendar days between the two dates.
- Subtract the Saturdays and Sundays.
- Subtract any bank holidays that land on weekdays.
Remember to decide whether the start and end dates are included. Different tools and contracts handle that differently.
For a worked example, take 21 December 2026 to 8 January 2027 in England and Wales. The Working days and bank holidays tool gives:
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Calendar days | 19 |
| Weekend days | 4 |
| Holidays on working days | 3 |
| Working days | 12 |
The three holidays are Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), the Boxing Day substitute (Monday 28 December) and New Year’s Day (Friday 1 January). Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the bank holiday moves to the Monday.
Counting down to a date
If you only want to know how long until an event, deadline or holiday, the Countdown to a date tool is simpler. For Christmas Day 2026, counting from 5 October 2026, it shows:
- 81 days, or 11 weeks and 4 days
- 59 working days (Monday to Friday)
- 22 weekend days
- Roughly 1,944 hours
Note that the working-day count in the countdown tool is Monday to Friday only. Use the working days calculator when you need bank holidays removed too.
Common mistakes when counting working days
- Forgetting that bank holidays differ by nation, so a Scottish office and an English office may not share the same days off.
- Missing substitute days when a holiday falls on a weekend.
- Counting both the start and end date when the agreement only counts one of them.
- Assuming the same Monday to Friday week applies in every country; in some places the weekend falls on different days.
Where a legal deadline or notice period is involved, confirm how the document counts days and whether it says “working days” or “business days”.
Using working days for pay and planning
Working days matter well beyond leave planning. They affect delivery times, payment terms and project plans. If you want to know what a shorter month means for your wages, see Hourly rate to salary, and how to work out overtime and How to work out your take-home pay from a UK salary. If you work with people overseas, Time zones explained: how to convert times without mistakes explains how to plan meetings across regions.
The workdays tool covers 100+ countries’ public holidays using built-in rules, with a choice of weekend pattern. Holidays set by decree or by lunar calendars should be checked with an official source before you rely on the result.
Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Our tools give estimates. Check GOV.UK, your contract or your employer for holiday entitlement and exact dates.
Try the calculator
Use the Working days and bank holidays calculator to count working days between two dates in the UK or another country, or the Countdown to a date calculator to see how long is left until a date.
Open the free Working days and bank holidays
Worked example 2: a normal month in England and Wales
Bank holidays are not the only thing that shortens a month, but they are the easiest to overlook. For December 2026 in England and Wales, the working days calculator gives:
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Calendar days (1 to 31 December) | 31 |
| Weekend days | 8 |
| Holidays on working days | 2 |
| Working days | 21 |
The two holidays are Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and the Boxing Day substitute on Monday 28 December. A quick hand check: 31 minus 8 weekend days is 23 weekdays, and 23 minus 2 holidays is 21.
Worked example 3: the same fortnight in two nations
A date range can contain a different number of working days depending on where you work, as this England and Wales versus Scotland comparison shows. Take Monday 28 December 2026 to Friday 8 January 2027:
| Nation | Weekend days | Holidays on working days | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 2 | 2 (Boxing Day substitute, New Year’s Day) | 8 |
| Scotland | 2 | 3 (Boxing Day substitute, New Year’s Day, 2 January substitute on Monday 4 January) | 7 |
Scotland has the extra day because 2 January falls on a Saturday in 2027, so a substitute weekday is given. Both rows start from the same 12 calendar days, which is why a project plan or a payment deadline shared between an English and a Scottish office can drift by a day. For Northern Ireland, use the tool with the Northern Ireland setting to get the exact count for your dates.
Easter: a moving holiday
Good Friday and Easter Monday move each year, so the working days in March and April change too. In 2027, Good Friday falls on Friday 26 March and Easter Monday on Monday 29 March. For 22 March to 2 April 2027 in England and Wales the tool gives:
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Calendar days | 12 |
| Weekend days | 2 |
| Holidays on working days | 2 |
| Working days | 8 |
A two-week window usually has ten working days, so Easter removes a fifth of them. If you set a delivery date or a notice period that spans Easter, count again rather than assuming ten.
Step-by-step: counting working days for a notice period
- Find out whether your contract or order says working days, business days or calendar days.
- Note whether the first day counts. Many agreements start counting the day after the event.
- Mark weekends in a calendar, and then mark bank holidays for the correct nation.
- Count forward until you reach the number of days required, skipping marked days.
- Check the final date again with the working days calculator, using the right region and weekend pattern.
When the days run out on a weekend or bank holiday, some documents move the deadline to the next working day and some do not. Read the clause rather than assuming.
Holidays, leave and pay
Bank holidays can be counted towards the statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, depending on your contract, which is why some employers give eight days on top of annual leave and others include them. See UK holiday entitlement explained for how leave is calculated. Working days also affect pay for hourly workers: a month with fewer working days means fewer paid hours, which Hourly rate to salary, and how to work out overtime explains. Employers are not generally required to make bank holidays paid days off beyond what the contract and statutory holiday allow, so ask HR or check GOV.UK.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bank holiday | A public holiday set by law or proclamation, which varies by UK nation |
| Substitute day | A weekday given when a holiday falls on a weekend |
| Working day | Usually Monday to Friday excluding public holidays, but check the document |
| Business day | Often used in finance and contracts, normally the same as a working day |
| Calendar day | Every day, including weekends and holidays |
| Time off in lieu | Time off given in place of working on a holiday or extra hours |
When to check with an official source
Dates for one-off bank holidays, such as a royal event, are announced by the government and can be added at short notice. For the official list, check GOV.UK. For deadlines with legal consequences, such as tenancy notices, court papers or tax filings, confirm the counting rules in the relevant document or with a professional, and do not rely on a general count.
Frequently asked questions
How many bank holidays are there in the UK?
England and Wales have eight a year. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different lists, so the number and dates vary by nation.
What happens when a bank holiday falls on a weekend?
A substitute weekday is usually given, often the following Monday. In 2026, Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so the substitute is Monday 28 December.
Do bank holidays count as working days?
Not in a normal Monday to Friday definition. But contracts vary, so check the exact wording.
Is Saturday a working day?
Not usually, but some contracts and businesses include it. Our tool lets you change the weekend pattern.
Are Easter dates the same every year?
No. Good Friday and Easter Monday move each year with Easter. In 2027, they fall on 26 and 29 March.
Does Scotland get the same holidays as England?
Not exactly. Scotland has 2 January and St Andrew’s Day, for example, which England does not. Check the official list for your nation.
How do I count working days in a country with a Friday to Saturday weekend?
Change the weekend pattern in the working days tool. It lets you choose Friday and Saturday or other combinations.
What if my deadline falls on a bank holiday?
It depends on the document. Some roll to the next working day and some do not, so read the wording or ask the other party in writing.