Count the working days between two dates, or add working days to a date, for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Working days are Monday to Friday, minus that nation’s bank holidays, including substitute days. From today to 31 December there are 49 working days in England and Wales, counting both dates.
How it counts. Between two dates, both the start and the end date are counted if they are working days, which is how most people count “working days from 1 to 8 January”. Untick the box to leave the start date out. When you add or subtract working days, the start date is never counted: 5 working days after a Monday is the following Monday. Dates from 2025 to 2030 are covered. “Today” is based on US Eastern time, so it can be a day behind the UK just after midnight.
For US federal holidays and other countries, use the main business days calculator.
Bank holidays this year
These are the days off the calculator skips. Dates come from the official lists on gov.uk. Next year’s dates are in our UK bank holidays guide.
England and Wales
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | ||
| Friday | Good Friday | ||
| Monday | Easter Monday | ||
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | ||
| Friday | Christmas Day | ||
| Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday 26 December |
Scotland
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | ||
| Friday | 2nd January | ||
| Friday | Good Friday | ||
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | ||
| Monday | World Cup bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | ||
| Monday | St Andrew's Day | ||
| Friday | Christmas Day | ||
| Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday 26 December |
Northern Ireland
| Date | Day | Holiday | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | New Year's Day | ||
| Tuesday | St Patrick's Day | ||
| Friday | Good Friday | ||
| Monday | Easter Monday | ||
| Monday | Early May bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Spring bank holiday | ||
| Monday | Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) (substitute day) | Observed; the holiday falls on Sunday 12 July | |
| Monday | Summer bank holiday | ||
| Friday | Christmas Day | ||
| Monday | Boxing Day (substitute day) | Observed; the holiday falls on Saturday 26 December |
Across the whole year that leaves 253 working days in England and Wales, 251 in Scotland and 251 in Northern Ireland. The month-by-month figures are in how many working days in a year in the UK.
Substitute days
When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute day is usually given on the next weekday. Christmas is the case that catches people out: when Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls at the weekend, the days off move to the following Monday and Tuesday. In 2026 Boxing Day is a Saturday, so the substitute day is Monday 28 December. In Scotland, 2nd January 2027 is a Saturday, so the day off is Monday 4 January 2027. The calculator counts the substitute day as the day off, not the weekend date.
Scotland has 2nd January and St Andrew’s Day but not Easter Monday; Northern Ireland adds St Patrick’s Day and the Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day). Many Scottish towns also have local holidays that are not on the national list, and the calculator does not include them.
Part-time workers and pro-rata holiday
Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year. For someone working 5 days a week that is 28 days, and employers can choose to count bank holidays as part of it. Part-time workers get the same 5.6 weeks pro rata: 5.6 times the number of days they work in a week. The rules and an entitlement calculator are on gov.uk; Northern Ireland’s are on nidirect.
There is no legal right to have bank holidays off; that depends on the contract. To check how many bank holidays land on someone’s working days, set the calculator to the period and look at the bank holidays listed under the result. A worker who doesn’t work Mondays, for example, misses most of them, which is why pro-rata entitlement is usually worked out in hours or days rather than by counting bank holidays.
Notice periods in working days
Contracts, letters and service terms sometimes ask for “5 working days’ notice” or a reply “within 10 working days”. To find the deadline, choose Add working days to a date, enter the day the notice was given and the number of working days. The day you give notice is not counted, so the deadline is the end of the last working day.
Always check how your own contract or policy defines a working day and when notice counts as received; some exclude the day of receipt, some treat a letter as received a day or two after posting. Statutory notice periods for employment are set in weeks, not working days; see handing in your notice on gov.uk.
FAQ
How do I calculate working days between two dates in the UK?
Count every Monday to Friday from the start date to the end date, then take off the bank holidays for your nation that fall on those weekdays. The calculator above does both steps and lists the bank holidays it removed.
How many working days are there between Christmas and New Year?
From Monday 21 December to Thursday 31 December 2026 there are 7 working days in England and Wales, counting both dates: Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and the Boxing Day substitute day (Monday 28 December) are not working days.
Is a business day the same as a working day?
Yes. “Working day” is the usual UK term and “business day” the US one; both mean a weekday that is not a public holiday. See how long is a business day for how long one lasts in hours.
Do Scottish bank holidays count as working days?
Banks are closed, so for payments they are not working days. Many employers in Scotland stay open on some bank holidays and give local holidays instead, so check your employer’s holiday calendar for staff days off.
Is Saturday a working day in the UK?
Not for most offices, banks or deadlines, which count Monday to Friday. Shops and some services work Saturdays, so check how the contract or service you’re dealing with defines a working day. More in is Saturday a business day?