UK workers can look forward to a three-day working week over the 2027 Christmas period, thanks to substitute bank holidays falling on weekdays. Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2027 both fall on a weekend, meaning the official bank holidays shift to Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28. This gives employees a four-day weekend, followed by a three-day working week before New Year.
New Year's Day 2028 also falls on a Saturday, so the substitute bank holiday moves to Monday, January 3. By taking annual leave on December 29, 30, and 31, workers can enjoy a 10-day break from December 25 to January 3. The government website confirms that when a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday becomes the bank holiday, usually the following Monday.
Before that, the next bank holiday is the August bank holiday on Monday, August 31, 2026. Northern Ireland has an additional day off on Monday, July 13, while Scotland's summer bank holiday is on Monday, August 3. The May bank holiday has already passed, leaving three more government-sanctioned days off in 2026.
