253 Working Days in 2026: England & Wales

There are 253 working days in England and Wales in 2026 on a Monday-to-Friday calendar. That figure excludes Saturdays, Sundays and the eight official bank holidays that fall on weekdays. The holiday calendar and totals below were checked on 7 October 2026.

The calculation is 261 weekdays − 8 weekday bank holidays = 253 working days. A holiday that falls on a weekend must not be subtracted a second time. Instead, check whether a weekday has been appointed as its substitute.

The eight bank holidays in the calculation

Boxing Day falls on Saturday 26 December in 2026. That Saturday is already excluded as a weekend day. Monday 28 December is the substitute bank holiday, so it is the date excluded from the 261 weekdays. The Privy Council's 2025 sealing order appoints the Monday for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Example: three working days across Easter

Assume a period of three working days starts from Thursday 2 April 2026. Exclude the start date and include the third working day. The England and Wales holidays produce this count:

The result is Thursday 9 April 2026. Seven calendar days pass between the start and result because the count leaves out two bank holidays and a weekend. This shows how the annual calendar affects an individual period. Check your own rule or document for the correct start date and which dates to include.

Open the Easter example in the calculator.

For help changing the count, see the working-day settings guide.

Monthly differences and quarterly totals

The 253 days are unevenly spread through the year. May has the fewest working days, with 19: it has ten weekend days and both May bank holidays. July has the most, with 23, because it has no bank holiday.

For all twelve monthly totals, use the working-days-by-month summary. It also shows weekend and holiday counts and lets you choose another year or jurisdiction.

For quarterly planning, the totals are:

These four quarters add to 253. They describe the base calendar before annual leave or workplace closures are deducted.

Two long stretches without a bank holiday

The two longest periods between England and Wales bank holidays provide longer stretches for planning work:

The longer period runs from the day after the summer bank holiday to the day before Christmas Day. No England and Wales bank holiday falls between those dates.

What the 253-day figure represents

This is a base calendar, not a record of when a particular workplace is open or when an individual employee is available. It does not include annual leave, part-time working patterns, sickness, school holidays, industry shutdowns or other workplace closure days.

GOV.UK explains that employers do not have to give paid leave on bank or public holidays. An employer can also include bank holidays in statutory annual leave. Subtracting a standard leave allowance from 253 would therefore not describe any particular employee's entitlement or availability.

Do not use the annual total as a deadline rule

For a legal, contractual or procedural deadline, start with the document or rule that sets the period. It may define working days differently, count calendar days, include the start date or use a separate closure calendar.

Choose the calendar and counting rules for the particular period. The UK holiday comparison shows how a different jurisdiction changes the result.

Sources

• GOV.UK, UK bank holidays for England and Wales, the official 2026 dates and substitute-day explanation; checked 7 October 2026
• Privy Council, 2026 bank-holiday sealing order, appointing Monday 28 December in place of Saturday 26 December
• GOV.UK, holiday entitlement on the distinction between bank holidays and paid annual leave