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Working Days UK

Guide

What counts as a working day in the UK?

The short answer: Monday to Friday, except bank holidays. The details depend on where in the UK you are, your working pattern and, sometimes, the rules you’re working to.

The usual definition

In everyday use, and in most contracts, a UK working day is any day from Monday to Friday that isn’t abank holiday in the relevant part of the UK. Saturdays and Sundays are not working days, even if some businesses are open.

There is no single legal definition that applies to everything. Some rules define it for their own purposes, for example:

  • The Civil Procedure Rules for courts in England and Wales define a “business day” as any day except a Saturday, Sunday, bank holiday, Good Friday or Christmas Day.
  • Employment contracts usually set out your own working days, which matters if you work part-time or weekends.
  • Delivery firms, banks and government bodies each state how they count working days in their terms.

If a deadline really matters, check the exact wording of the rule or contract it comes from.

Bank holidays are different across the UK

England and Wales share one list, while Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own:

  • England and Wales: 8 bank holidays in a usual year, including Easter Monday and the last Monday in August.
  • Scotland: 2 January and St Andrew’s Day (30 November), a summer bank holiday on the first Monday in August, and no Easter Monday.
  • Northern Ireland: the England and Wales list plus St Patrick’s Day (17 March) and the Battle of the Boyne (12 July).

See the full list for UK bank holidays in 2026. In Scotland, bank holidays apply mainly to banks, and many employers follow local public holidays set by councils instead.

Substitute days

When a bank holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, a substitute day is given on the next weekday, usually the Monday. When Christmas Day and Boxing Day both fall on a weekend, the substitutes are the following Monday and Tuesday. The calculator uses the official substitute dates.

Working days, calendar days and clear days

  • Calendar days count every day, including weekends and bank holidays.
  • Working days (or business days) count only Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
  • Clear days leave out both the day the period starts and the day it ends.

Part-time and shift workers

If you don’t work Monday to Friday, your own working days are the days in your contract. In theworking days calculator, open “Working pattern, days off & hours” and tick only the days you work. You can also add annual leave or a workplace shutdown.

Annual leave and bank holidays

Most workers get 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for someone working 5 days a week. Employers can choose to include bank holidays in that. Your contract says whether bank holidays are on top of your leave.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is Saturday a working day in the UK?

Not usually. For most purposes a working day is Monday to Friday. If you work weekends, your own working days are set by your contract, and you can tick Saturday or Sunday in the calculator’s working pattern.

Are bank holidays working days?

No, bank holidays are normally treated as non-working days. But there is no legal right to have them off: whether you work them, and whether you’re paid extra, depends on your contract.

What is the difference between working days and business days?

In the UK they mean the same thing: Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. “Business day” is more common in contracts, banking and law. “Working day” is more common in employment and everyday use.

What are “clear days”?

“Clear days” means the day the period starts and the day it ends are both left out. For example, with 7 clear days’ notice given on the 1st, the earliest the event can take place is the 9th. Clear days are often calendar days, not working days, so check the wording.