Bank holidays

There is no statutory right to time off (paid or unpaid) on bank holidays or Sundays. Any rights are purely contractual (see Chapter 3). The only exception is the retail sector, where most stores, except small convenience stores, must close on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day (see below).

Where a union is recognised, treatment of bank holidays should be a matter for collective bargaining (see Chapter 5).

Employers can include bank holidays in the 5.6 weeks of statutory holiday entitlement. Whether they are included or added on top of the 5.6 weeks’ holiday depends on the employment contract.For the position as to bank holidays during the Coronavirus lockdown, see the box on page 130.

There is no statutory right to extra wages or time off in lieu for working on bank holidays. Any such rights depend on the employment contract.

Employers must not breach the Part-time Workers Regulations 2000 (PTWR) when calculating the bank holiday pay of part-time workers, for example if a bank holiday falls on a day that a part-time worker would not normally work. In most cases, the employer can eliminate the disadvantage by giving all part-timers a pro rata entitlement to paid time off for bank holidays based on the number of hours they work.