Substitute Bank Holiday for Christmas Day 2024 in the United Kingdom (2024)

FAQs

What is substitute holiday UK? ›

If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a 'substitute' weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday. Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays. Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid.

How many UK bank holidays will there be in 2024? In England and Wales, you'll enjoy a total of eight bank holidays. In Scotland, tick on one more for nine.

St Andrew's Day (30 November, or the following Monday if it falls on a weekend). Christmas day if it does not fall on a Sunday (26 December if it does fall on a Sunday). Boxing Day has been proclaimed an additional bank holiday since 1974.

If a bank holiday falls on a day you do not normally work you are still entitled to time off but this will likely be in lieu so as not to unfairly discriminate against you.

When Christmas Day is a Sunday, the Boxing Day holiday is still observed on Monday 26 December, with the substitute holiday for Christmas Day observed on Tuesday 27 December.

There are eight bank holidays a year in England and Wales, nine in Scotland and ten in Northern Ireland. Additional days have been allocated for special events, such as royal weddings and jubilees.

In the UK, we've had official bank holidays since 1871, when they were formally recognised by an Act of Parliament. On these days, banks were allowed to close, which is where the name comes from.

Why do we have bank holidays? Bank holidays originated in the UK in 1871, when banks and financial institutions would take days off. As time went on, businesses, schools, and the government joined in, and now bank holidays are celebrated by everyone.

What happens if Christmas falls on a Monday? ›

Wednesday or Thursday When Christmas Day falls on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, December 25 and December 26 shall be considered as paid holidays with time off.

The Bank Holidays Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict. c. 17) established public holidays (known as bank holidays) in addition to those customarily recognised in the United Kingdom. An Act to make provision for Bank Holidays, and respecting obligations to make payments and do other acts on such Bank Holidays.

England and Wales have eight bank holidays in 2024, while Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has ten! Will there be 3 bank holidays in May 2024? Unfortunately not! There were 3 May bank holidays in 2023 because of the coronation of King Charles III.

Bank holidays are holidays when banks and many other businesses are closed for the day. Public holidays are holidays which have been observed through custom and practice, such as Christmas Day. Find out about the bank and public holidays in Northern Ireland and employees' rights to pay or time off.

Bank holidays

Bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave. An employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker's statutory annual leave.

A substitute public holiday is an ordinary day that is treated like a public holiday instead of the actual public holiday. Public holidays that fall on weekends are often substituted for the next working day by state and territory governments.

If Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday and Tuesday are substitute bank holidays. The bank holiday is a time for many people to relax and enjoy a day off from work.

Pro-rata holiday entitlement is a calculation based on the amount of annual leave an employee is entitled to in relation to the amount of the holiday year they've worked.

In America, schools generally give students around 10-12 weeks of vacation. They can release students anywhere from the end of May to mid August, or mid-June to the beginning of September. British schools are quite different. They generally end their academic year in mid-July and begin the first week of September.