What if a court closure falls on a weekend?

If a privilege day falls on Saturday or Sunday, the court typically operates normally that week and the closure does not carry forward to the next Monday. Always check the official SCTS calendar for your court to confirm any substitute dates.

How does Court Rules Mode handle clear days?

Clear days means you exclude both the day the period starts and the day it ends. Court Rules Mode handles this automatically for the selected rule set: the include/exclude date toggles are locked. For England & Wales and Northern Ireland notice calculations, both the trigger day and the event day are excluded. Filing calculations exclude the trigger day and include the filing day.

How do I calculate a notice to complete deadline?

A Notice to Complete commonly gives 10 working days, but you should always check the contract terms or standard conditions being used. In the calculator, enable Sequential Periods mode, set the date of notice as the start date, add the relevant working-day period, and use multiple periods to chain finance approval, exchange, completion, and notice to complete dates.

What are the typical conveyancing deadlines?

Typical periods include mortgage offer validity (3-6 months), exchange to completion (7-28 working days), Notice to Complete (10 working days from service), and searches validity (around 6 months). Always check contract terms as they can vary.

How many working days are there in a month?

It varies by month and jurisdiction due to bank holidays. Most months have 20-23 working days if you use the common Monday-Friday excluding bank holidays convention. To find working days for a specific month, use the calculator between the 1st and last day, check the Year Summary page for monthly breakdowns, and select the correct jurisdiction.

Do all UK regions have the same working days?

No. England & Wales includes Easter Monday and the May and August bank holidays. Scotland also celebrates 2 January and St Andrew's Day and does not observe Easter Monday. Northern Ireland also celebrates St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne. Select the correct jurisdiction to exclude the right holidays.

How many working days are in a year in the UK?

It varies by jurisdiction due to bank holidays: England & Wales has roughly 252-253 working days, Scotland 251-252, and Northern Ireland 250-251. See the Year Summary page for exact counts by jurisdiction and year.

Reference Guide

UK Working Day Rules, Bank Holidays & Court Deadline Guide

Q: How do I find my court's 2026 closure schedule?

Identify your exact court location (for example, Edinburgh Sheriff Court or Supreme Courts Glasgow). The SCTS publishes annual holiday calendars for all 46 locations. Use Court Rules Mode and select your specific court to load that court's 2026 closure dates into the calculation.

Technical reference for UK working-day conventions, bank holidays, and court-rule counting. Use it to understand the assumptions the calculator can apply, not as a substitute for the governing contract, statute, or procedural rule. For real-world scenarios, visit Use Cases. For deep-dives and edge cases, browse Articles.

Start with CPR 2.8 clear days, Scottish court holidays, notice to complete, or the UK bank holiday breakdown.

Open Calculator

This guide covers UK bank holidays, court rules, conveyancing timelines, business planning, and HR/leave considerations.

How the court rules count time

Ordinary deadline counting: In default mode, the calculator follows the counting basis and boundary choices you select.
Notice / Service counts: England & Wales and Northern Ireland notice modes generally exclude both endpoints for clear days, subject to the selected rule set.
Filing and Scottish court counts: Filing logic and Scottish court calculations depend on the court rule, selected court calendar, and assumptions shown in the result.

Start Here

Jump straight to the topic you need

The full reference is still available, but you do not need to read it top to bottom. Open the topic that matches your question.

Public Holidays

Start here for UK bank holiday coverage and the practical effect of court closures.

Court Rules

Use these sections when the calculator output depends on CPR or Scottish court counting assumptions.

Property & Transactions

Open this when the deadline sits inside a conveyancing or completion workflow.

Business & HR

Open these sections for delivery planning, leave calculations, and operational scheduling.

Public Holidays

UK Bank Holidays

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•England & Wales: 8 bank holidays per year
•Scotland: 9 bank holidays (includes 2 January and St Andrew's Day; no Easter Monday)
•Northern Ireland: 10 bank holidays (includes St Patrick's Day and Battle of the Boyne)
•Substitute days apply when bank holidays fall on weekends
•King's official birthday may vary by jurisdiction

What Are Bank Holidays?

Bank holidays are public holidays in the United Kingdom when banks and most businesses close. The term dates back to the Bank Holidays Act 1871, which first designated certain days for banks to close. Today, bank holidays are governed by the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971.

Jurisdictional Variations

The UK has different bank holiday arrangements for each jurisdiction:

England & Wales: 8 bank holidays including New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, Summer bank holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Scotland: 9 bank holidays. Scotland observes 2 January and St Andrew's Day (30 November) but does not observe Easter Monday, which is a bank holiday in England & Wales.
Northern Ireland: 10 bank holidays, including all England & Wales holidays plus St Patrick's Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July).

Substitute Day Rules

When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, the following Monday (or Tuesday if Monday is already a bank holiday) becomes a substitute bank holiday. This ensures that everyone benefits from the day off, regardless of their normal working pattern.

Examples:

Christmas Day on Saturday → Substitute bank holiday on Monday
Boxing Day on Sunday → Substitute bank holiday on Monday
Christmas Day on Sunday + Boxing Day on Monday → Substitute bank holiday on Tuesday

When you use working-day counting, the calculator applies these substitutions based on the year and jurisdiction you select.

One-Off Bank Holidays

Occasionally, the government proclaims additional one-off bank holidays for special occasions, such as royal jubilees, coronations, or state funerals. These are announced in advance and the calculator will include them in the relevant years.

Calculator Tip

In working-day mode, the Working Day Calculatorexcludes bank holidays for the jurisdiction you selected. Simply choose England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland and enter your date range to reflect the relevant holiday calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute bank holiday is observed on the next available weekday (usually Monday or Tuesday). This ensures that workers get their full entitlement of days off. In working-day mode, the calculator applies these substitution rules.

No. While England and Wales share 8 bank holidays, Scotland has 9 (including 2 January) and Northern Ireland has 10 (including St Patrick's Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July). Use the jurisdiction selector in the calculator to apply the correct holidays for your location.

There is no automatic legal right to time off on bank holidays in the UK. Your entitlement depends on your employment contract. However, full-time employees are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks (28 days) of paid annual leave per year, which may include bank holidays at the employer's discretion.

Yes, your employer can require you to work on a bank holiday if your contract permits it. There is no legal requirement for extra pay or time off in lieu for working bank holidays, although many employers offer enhanced rates or alternative days off as part of their employment terms.

Related Resources

GOV.UK - Bank Holidays

Official list of bank holidays for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland

GOV.UK - Holiday Entitlement

Information about statutory holiday entitlement and workers' rights

Legislation.gov.uk - Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971

The primary legislation governing bank holidays in the UK

Topic

Scottish Court Holidays & SCTS Closures

Scottish court closure periods and SCTS calendar assumptions that can change filing and deadline planning.

Scottish Legal

Scottish Court Holidays & SCTS Closures (2026)

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•2026 SCTS calendar now available with 46 court locations
•Privilege days vary by court: 11–12 total closure dates per location
•All courts closed: 1, 2 Jan; 3, 6 Apr; 4 May; 25, 28 Dec
•Half-day closures on specific dates (e.g., 24 Dec at Supreme Courts)
•Court-specific closures affect deadline calculations—use your exact court schedule

Scottish court building with closure schedule

Why SCTS Closures Matter for Deadline Calculations

The Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service (SCTS) publishes annual closure calendars covering 46 court locations across Scotland. These privilege days sit alongside bank holidays and weekends and are often relevant where a Scottish court calculation turns on whether the selected court is open.

Missing a deadline because your court was closed can result in struck-out claims, wasted costs orders, or dismissed applications. Using the correct closure schedule for your specific court location is essential.

Universal Closure Dates in 2026

All 46 SCTS locations observe these closure dates:

January: 1, 2 (New Year closure)
April: 3, 6 (Easter recess)
May: 4 (Early May Bank Holiday)
December: 25, 28 (Christmas period)

Court-Specific Closures

Beyond the universal dates, each court location has 3–4 additional location-specific closure dates. For example:

Edinburgh Sheriff Court: Additional closures in May (18), April (20), and October (21)—11 total closure days
Glasgow Sheriff Court: Additional closures in April (25), August (20), October (28)—11 total closure days
Inverness Sheriff Court: Additional closures in August (6), September (17), October (5)—11 total closure days

The variation across locations means you cannot use a generic "Scottish court holidays" list. You must identify your exact court and use its specific schedule.

Which Court Schedule Applies to Your Case?

Sheriff Court cases: Use the schedule for the Sheriff Court district covering your case
Supreme Court (Court of Session): Use "Supreme Courts Edinburgh" or "Supreme Courts Glasgow" schedule
Tribunal cases: Use the specific Tribunals Operations centre schedule (e.g., MHTS, TSBU, LTC)

Using Court Rules Mode with SCTS Calendars

The Working Day Calculator's Scottish court mode can apply 2026 SCTS closure dates. To use it:

Enable Court Rules Mode in the calculator
Select Scotland as your jurisdiction
Choose your specific court from the SCTS locations dropdown
Enter your dates and review which closure dates were excluded

The results panel lists excluded closure dates and any rollover used by the selected court rules. You should still confirm that the selected court calendar and procedure match your case.

Next Step

Open the full article for the complete 46-court calendar, worked examples, and location-specific closure notes.

Read Full 2026 SCTS Holiday Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Privilege days are court-specific closure dates announced annually by the Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service. Unlike bank holidays, which apply across the UK, privilege days vary by location. Each of the 46 Scottish court locations has a unique closure schedule that may need to be taken into account where your procedure turns on whether the court is open.

No. Whilst all courts observe national closures (New Year, Easter, Christmas), each location has additional privilege days for local reasons such as staff training or building maintenance. You should usually use the schedule for your specific court rather than a generic Scottish holiday list.

Identify your exact court location (e.g., 'Edinburgh Sheriff Court', 'Supreme Courts Glasgow', or your local Sheriff Court). The SCTS publishes annual holiday calendars for all 46 locations. Use the Working Day Calculator's Scottish court mode and select your specific court to load that court's 2026 closure dates into the calculation.

If a privilege day falls on Saturday or Sunday, the court typically operates normally that week—the closure does not carry forward to the next Monday. However, always check the official SCTS calendar for your court to confirm, as some closures may have substitute dates.

Half-day closures (marked with * in the SCTS calendar) are dates when courts close early, typically at noon or 2pm. In this calculator's Scottish court mode, treat half-day closures as full closure days. If your deadline falls on a half-day closure date, treat it as landing on a court-closed day.

Related Resources

SCTS Public & Privilege Holidays 2026

Official 2026 SCTS closure calendar with all 46 court locations

Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service

Official SCTS website with court information and procedural guidance

Court of Session Rules

Supreme Court procedural rules including time calculation guidance

Sheriff Court Rules

Local court rules and procedural requirements

Court Deadline Guidance

Court Rules Mode & Date Counting Guidance

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•Court Rules Mode applies the selected court rules from the trigger date you enter
•Clear-day handling is automated where the selected court rules require it and shown in the result summary
•Short-notice thresholds – ≤5 days (England & Wales), ≤7 days (NI High Court), and ≤3 days (NI County Court) use working days; longer runs switch to calendar days
•Scottish calculations use the selected SCTS court calendar together with bank holidays, including half-day closures
•Where the selected rules require it, deadlines roll to the next court-open day

Use Court Rules Mode when the deadline depends on the selected court profile rather than an ordinary working-day convention. The calculator applies the counting rule once you have worked out the legally correct trigger or deemed service date.

Boundary to get right first: this guide does not automate deemed service, office-specific filing cut-off times, or bespoke order wording. Establish the trigger date first, then count from that date.

Court Profile Quick Reference

England & Wales

CPR 2.8 style counting for the selected notice or filing rule.
Clear days exclude both the start day and the end day.
Periods of 5 days or fewer use working days; longer runs switch to calendar days.

Scotland

Select the exact SCTS court calendar rather than relying on a generic Scottish rule.
The selected court calendar combines privilege days, bank holidays, and half-day closures.
Treat the result as a selected-court model and confirm that the procedure matches your case.

Northern Ireland

High Court short-notice threshold: 7 days or fewer.
County Court short-notice threshold: 3 days or fewer.
Long Vacation exclusions only apply where the selected High Court rule requires them.

Clear Days vs Filing Logic

Notice / clear-day counts

Start day excluded.
Final day excluded where the rule requires clear days.
Use the court profile so the correct short-notice threshold is applied automatically.

Filing / ordinary counts

Start day usually excluded, final day included.
If the deadline lands on a closed day, the selected rule can roll it to the next open day.
Always check whether the rule changes for service, filing, or amendment deadlines.

Worked Example: 7 Clear Days' Notice

Serve on Monday 6 January 2025. Exclude the service day, count Tuesday 7 January as Day 1, reach Monday 13 January as Day 7, then exclude that final day as well.

Earliest hearing date: Tuesday 14 January 2025.

View court-specific notes and edge cases

England & Wales working day: any day except Saturday, Sunday, bank holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or Good Friday. Weekdays between Christmas and New Year remain working days unless they are substitute bank holidays.

Scottish court handling in this calculator: supported notice calculations generally use calendar-day logic with the selected SCTS closure calendar layered on top, including half-day finishes where relevant.

Northern Ireland reminder: select the correct court level before relying on the threshold or Long Vacation behaviour.

Calculator Workflow

Enable Court Rules Mode.
Select the jurisdiction and court profile that matches the case.
Choose notice/service or filing so the boundary logic is correct.
Review the result summary to confirm the rule, exclusions, and rollover applied.

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear days means you exclude both the day the period starts and the day it ends. Court Rules Mode handles this automatically for the selected rule set: the include/exclude date toggles are completely locked (disabled and hidden). For England & Wales and Northern Ireland notice calculations, both the trigger day and the event day are excluded. Filing calculations exclude the trigger day and include the filing day.

Court Rules Mode selects the correct method for you. Short notice periods are counted in working days (≤5 for England & Wales, ≤7 for Northern Ireland High Court, ≤3 for Northern Ireland County Court) while longer periods switch to calendar days. For Scotland, this calculator uses a selected-court calendar approach that generally counts notice periods in calendar days.

England & Wales applies CPR 2.8 bank holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, and other statutory bank holidays). Scotland blends bank holidays with the SCTS calendar you select, including half-day closures. Northern Ireland follows its court holiday calendar. When a working-day rule is in play, the calculator automatically excludes these non-working days.

Court Rules Mode automatically excludes bank holidays—including Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec), and New Year's Day (1 Jan)—from working day calculations (CPR 2.8). For Scotland, the calculator applies the SCTS schedule which includes 2 January and other Scottish-specific holidays. Note: UK courts do not have a 'Christmas shutdown period'; they are simply closed on specific bank holidays.

No. Pick Scotland as the jurisdiction, enable Court Rules Mode, and choose the relevant SCTS court calendar. The calculator merges privilege holidays, half days, and bank holidays to produce a selected-court calendar calculation, but you should still check the applicable Scottish procedure.

Use it only for Northern Ireland High Court calculations where the applicable rule excludes the Long Vacation for serving, filing, or amending a pleading. It is not a general Northern Ireland switch, and it does not apply to County Court in this calculator.

Related Resources

Justice.gov.uk - Civil Procedure Rules

Official Civil Procedure Rules including Part 2 on court procedures

CPR Part 2 - Application and Interpretation

Full text of CPR Part 2 including definitions and time limit rules

SCTS Public & Privilege Holidays

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service closures used by the calculator

Topic

Conveyancing & Property Transactions

Completion, notice, and transaction timing issues where weekends and bank holidays change the legal or practical deadline.

Property Law

Conveyancing & Property Transactions

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•Sequential deadline mode chains up to 6 periods for complex transactions
•Notice to Complete commonly allows 10 working days from service, subject to contract wording
•Exchange to completion periods are often counted in working days
•Bank holidays and regional variations affect conveyancing timelines
•Linked periods can be modelled consistently across the same transaction

Property conveyancing documents and house keys

Managing Conveyancing Deadlines

Property transactions involve multiple sequential deadlines that must be tracked carefully. Missing a completion deadline or Notice to Complete can have serious financial consequences. The Working Day Calculator helps solicitors, conveyancers, and property buyers/sellers stay on track.

Sequential Periods for Property Transactions

Conveyancing rarely involves a single deadline. Instead, you're managing a chain of connected dates:

Finance approval → Mortgage offer received, start exchange countdown
Exchange of contracts → Binding agreement, completion date set
Completion → Funds transfer, keys handed over
Notice to Complete → Final 10 working days if delays occur

The calculator's Sequential Periods mode lets you chain these deadlines together. Each period's end date becomes the next period's start date, so you can apply one counting assumption consistently across the timeline.

Notice to Complete

A Notice to Complete is a formal notice that can be served by either party (provided they are ready, able and willing to complete) requiring completion within a specified timeframe, often 10 working days under standard conveyancing practice. This is a crucial deadline:

Either party can serve a Notice to Complete if the other has failed to complete and they themselves are ready, able and willing
If the receiving party fails to complete within the notice period, the serving party may rescind the contract
Working days exclude weekends and bank holidays
Jurisdictional bank holiday differences (Scotland, Northern Ireland) can affect the deadline
The date of service is usually excluded from the count

Use the calculator to model the completion deadline that matches the contract wording and counting basis in your transaction.

Regional Considerations

Bank holidays vary across the UK, which can impact conveyancing timelines:

Scotland: Different bank holidays including St Andrew's Day (30 Nov) and 2 January
Northern Ireland: Additional holidays including St Patrick's Day (17 Mar) and Battle of the Boyne (12 Jul)
England & Wales: 8 bank holidays including Easter Monday and August bank holiday

Select the correct jurisdiction in the calculator so the relevant bank-holiday calendar is reflected in your working-day count.

Practical Example: Exchange to Completion

If your contract calls for completion 14 working days after exchange, and you exchange on Friday 2 May 2025:

Start date: Friday 2 May 2025 (exchange)
Count 14 working days (excluding weekends and the Early May bank holiday on 5 May)
Completion date: Friday 23 May 2025

The calculator shows you every excluded day and provides an audit trail for your file.

Next Step

Use Sequential Periods mode when the transaction has linked stages or a Notice to Complete risk.

Plan Your Conveyancing Timeline

Frequently Asked Questions

In UK conveyancing, a seller commonly gives 10 working days' notice to complete, but always check the contract terms or standard conditions being used:

Enable Sequential Periods mode in the calculator
Add Period 1: Set "Date of notice" as start date, add 10 working days
The result shows your "Completion date" deadline

Tip: Use multiple periods to chain finance approval → exchange → completion → notice to complete dates. Try Sequential Mode →

Common conveyancing working day periods include:

Mortgage offer validity: Typically 3-6 months from offer date
Exchange to completion: Often 7-28 working days (negotiable)
Notice to Complete: 10 working days from service
Searches validity: Usually 6 months from date of issue

Always check your contract terms as these can vary. The calculator helps you model and track each deadline consistently.

Related Resources

Sequential Deadlines Calculator

Chain multiple conveyancing deadlines with Sequential Periods mode

Conveyancing Timeline Blog

Complete guide to calculating exchange to completion dates

UK Bank Holidays Impact

How regional bank holidays affect your conveyancing timeline

Topic

Business & Project Planning

Planning assumptions for contracts, delivery windows, and project timelines that rely on working-day counts.

Commercial Use

Business & Project Planning

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•Working days often mean weekdays excluding bank holidays, but contracts and processes can define them differently
•Different UK regions have different bank holiday calendars
•Calendar day mode available for projects that work through weekends
•Sequential mode supports multi-phase project planning
•Export deadline calculations as PDFs for project documentation

Business planning and project timeline management

Use this section when the deadline sits inside a contract, project plan, SLA, or procurement workflow rather than a court rule. The key job is choosing the counting basis that matches the process you are actually managing.

Common Business Scenarios

Delivery and milestones

Delivery windows, implementation phases, and internal sign-off dates that exclude weekends and bank holidays.

SLA and contract management

Response times, cure periods, renewal notices, and termination windows that depend on the contract's counting basis.

Procurement and approvals

Tender submissions, evaluation periods, and governance checkpoints where the usable working week matters.

Capacity planning

Forecasting available working days for teams, projects, or seasonal operations.

Choose the Right Counting Basis

Working days

Usually Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. Use this where the contract, process note, or operational practice assumes the business is closed on non-working days.

Calendar days

Every day counts. Use this where the service or process runs continuously, or the contract expressly measures in calendar days.

Do not assume "working days" means the default UK weekday pattern. Check whether the contract defines the term, sets a different holiday calendar, or expects a continuous service model.

Regional Planning Checks

England & Wales often has a different annual working-day total from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Scotland and Northern Ireland each carry additional public holidays that can move operational deadlines.
One-off royal events or special bank holidays can change a project plan mid-year.

For cross-jurisdiction delivery, either run the calculation per region or plan to the most conservative holiday calendar.

Worked Example: 15 Working-Day SLA

If a contract gives you 15 working daysafter kickoff, count forward using the jurisdiction and holiday calendar the contract assumes. The calculator then shows the due date and every excluded day in the audit trail.

Multi-Phase Project Planning

Chain up to 6 linked phases with automatic date carry-forward.
Keep the same counting assumption across the whole project.
Show when each phase starts and ends under the selected holiday calendar.
Export the finished timeline as a PDF for stakeholders.

For annual planning and resourcing, use the Year Summary page to compare jurisdiction totals and month-by-month availability.

Next Step

Use the calculator when the contract, SLA, or project plan depends on a working-day rather than calendar-day basis.

Calculate Project Timelines

Frequently Asked Questions

It varies by month and jurisdiction due to bank holidays. Most months have 20-23 working days (Monday-Friday, excluding bank holidays). To find working days for a specific month:

Use the calculator to count between the 1st and last day of the month
Check the Year Summary page for month-by-month breakdowns
Select your jurisdiction (England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland) for accurate counts

No. Scotland and Northern Ireland have unique bank holidays:

England & Wales: Includes Easter Monday, Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas
Scotland: Also celebrates 2 January and St Andrew's Day (30 Nov); Easter Monday is NOT a bank holiday in Scotland
Northern Ireland: Also celebrates St Patrick's Day (17 Mar) and Battle of the Boyne (12 Jul)

Select your jurisdiction in the calculator to ensure accurate holiday exclusion. Learn more about jurisdictional differences →

Related Resources

Year Summary & Working Days Table

View total working days by month and jurisdiction for project planning

UK Bank Holidays by Jurisdiction

Complete guide comparing England, Scotland & Northern Ireland holidays

Working Days Calculator

Calculate working days between any two dates for project timelines

Topic

HR, Holidays & Leave Planning

Leave-planning and employment timing questions where bank holidays alter entitlement, notice, or staffing calculations.

Employment Law

HR, Holidays & Leave Planning

Last reviewed: January 2026

At-a-Glance

•UK workers entitled to minimum 5.6 weeks (28 days) paid annual leave
•Bank holidays may or may not be included in statutory entitlement
•Different jurisdictions have different numbers of bank holidays (8-10 per year)
•Notice periods for annual leave often calculated in working days
•Year Summary page shows working days by month for capacity planning

Use this section when the question is employment timing rather than court rules: statutory leave minimums, bank-holiday treatment in contracts, or notice windows for leave requests.

Statutory Baseline

Minimum entitlement

5.6 weeks' paid annual leave.
Equivalent to 28 days for a full-time 5-day worker.
The statutory minimum is capped at 28 days.

Accrual and part-time patterns

Leave accrues from the first day of employment.
Part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks pro-rated to their pattern.
Irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue on the current statutory basis, including the post-2024 12.07% method where applicable.

Core employment point: there is no automatic right to take bank holidays off. Time off, extra pay, or premium treatment on bank holidays is a contractual question unless another rule or policy grants it.

Contract Wording: Inclusive vs Exclusive

Inclusive wording

"28 days including bank holidays"

Typical effect: 20 discretionary days plus 8 bank holidays. This can still satisfy the statutory minimum.

Exclusive wording

"28 days plus bank holidays"

Typical effect: 28 discretionary days plus the relevant bank holidays. That exceeds the statutory minimum.

Multi-Jurisdiction Staffing

England & Wales

8 bank holidays.

Scotland

9 bank holidays, including 2 January and St Andrew's Day.

Northern Ireland

10 bank holidays, including St Patrick's Day and the Battle of the Boyne.

These are public-holiday calendars, not automatic employment entitlements. Many employers standardise the practical benefit across UK sites as a policy choice.

Statutory Notice Rules for Leave Requests

Employee request

Default minimum notice is at least twice the length of the leave requested.

Employer refusal or cancellation

Default minimum notice is at least equal to the length of the leave period.

Policies can impose longer notice windows, but not shorter ones if they would undercut the statutory minimum. Before relying on the calculator, confirm whether your policy counts in working days or calendar days.

Worked Example

If a policy requires 10 working days' noticefor 5 days of leave, count back 10 working days from the first leave day using the relevant jurisdiction's bank holiday calendar.

When to Use the Calculator

Leave-request notice dates.
Resignation or termination notice planning.
TUPE, grievance, or disciplinary timetable tracking.
Capacity planning using the Year Summary page.

Next Step

Check the relevant jurisdiction first, then count on the same basis your contract or leave policy uses.

Calculate Leave Periods & Notice Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

It varies by jurisdiction due to bank holidays:

England & Wales: Approximately 252-253 working days per year (8 bank holidays)
Scotland: Approximately 251-252 working days per year (9 bank holidays)
Northern Ireland: Approximately 250-251 working days per year (10 bank holidays)

See our Year Summary page for exact counts by jurisdiction and year, including month-by-month breakdowns.

Related Resources

GOV.UK - Holiday Entitlement

Official guidance on statutory holiday entitlement and workers' rights

Year Summary & Working Days

View total working days by month and jurisdiction for HR planning

UK Bank Holidays by Jurisdiction

Complete comparison of bank holidays across England, Scotland & Northern Ireland

GOV.UK - Bank Holidays

Official list of bank holidays for all UK regions