How working days are counted
This calculator counts every day from the start date to the end date, including both by default, then removes Saturdays, Sundays and any official bank holidays that fall on a weekday. The bank holiday dates come from the GOV.UK bank holidays data feed, which lists holidays for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland separately, including substitute days when a holiday falls at the weekend.
UK bank holidays 2026
England and Wales (8): 1 January, Good Friday 3 April, Easter Monday 6 April, 4 May, 25 May, 31 August, Christmas Day 25 December and Boxing Day (substitute) Monday 28 December.
Scotland (9): 1 and 2 January, Good Friday 3 April, 4 May, 25 May, 15 June (a one-off 2026 holiday), 3 August, St Andrew's Day 30 November, 25 December and 28 December. Scotland has no Easter Monday holiday.
Northern Ireland (10): the England and Wales list plus St Patrick's Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (13 July in 2026).
UK bank holidays 2027
England and Wales: 1 January, Good Friday 26 March, Easter Monday 29 March, 3 May, 31 May, 30 August, and substitute days 27 and 28 December. A full year of 2027 has 253 working days in England and Wales.
Uses
Use it to count notice periods, delivery times, project deadlines, SLA response times or how many days you will work in a month. Contracts sometimes define "working day" differently, for example to exclude Christmas Eve or local holidays. To check how many days off you are owed, use the holiday entitlement calculator. Dates before 2025 or after 2028 are outside the published data.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are there in 2027 in England?
253, after removing weekends and the 8 bank holidays.
How many bank holidays are there in 2026?
8 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland (including the one-off 15 June holiday) and 10 in Northern Ireland.
Does the calculator include the start and end date?
Yes, both by default. Tick "Don’t count the start date" to leave out the first day, for example when counting notice.
Is Christmas Eve a bank holiday?
No. Christmas Eve is not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK, although some employers give it as a day off.
✨ New: Remove the background from any image free – private, in your browser, transparent PNG.
Related free tools
Sources
Disclaimer: This calculator gives an estimate using official 2026/27 rates published on GOV.UK and devolved government sites (checked October 2026). It is not financial, tax or legal advice and may not cover every situation. Always check with the official source, HMRC, your lender or a qualified adviser before making decisions.