Leave HackerGuidesPlan my yearDo I get extra pay for working a bank holiday?
Only if your contract says so
No law gives you extra pay, or a day off in lieu, for working a bank holiday: it's down to your contract. Whether you work bank holidays at all is up to your employer. What the law does say is that you must still get your full 5.6 weeks of paid holiday on other days.
What applies
- Your contract decides whether you work bank holidays, and whether at a higher rate.
- A day in lieu (working the bank holiday and taking another day off) needs your employer's agreement.
- You can't be paid instead of the day off, except for leave still owed when you leave the job.
- Your 5.6 weeks stay whole. If bank holidays are part of your holiday and you work one, you're owed that day as paid time off another time.
In Northern Ireland, nidirect says the same: no automatic right to an enhanced rate; your contract decides.
Sources
- Acas: Bank holidays and Christmas
- gov.uk: Holiday entitlement
- nidirect: Holiday entitlements (Northern Ireland)
Checked on 26 October 2026. This is general information about the legal minimum in the UK, not legal advice: your contract can give you more, and can set its own rules for notice and carrying over. For help with your own situation, call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 (England, Scotland and Wales) or the Labour Relations Agency on 03300 555 300 (Northern Ireland).
More questions
Can I refuse to work a bank holiday?
It depends on your contract. Acas says whether you work bank holidays is up to your employer, so if your contract says you may have to, you can be asked to.
Do I get double time on bank holidays?
Only if your contract or workplace agreement says so. There's no legal right to double time.