December 2026 has 21 working days in every part of the UK.
How many working days are there in December 2026?
Bank holiday dates from the GOV.UK feed, last checked on 3 October 2026.
December 2026 starts on a Tuesday and ends on a Thursday, so it has 23 weekdays and 8 weekend days.
Bank holidays in December 2026
| Date | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 25 December | Christmas Day | All of the UK |
| Monday 28 December | Boxing Day (substitute day) | All of the UK |
Boxing Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December.
The next bank holiday in the UK is New Year's Day on Friday 1 January 2027.
December 2026 by nation
| Nation | Working days | Bank holidays | First working day | Last working day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of the UK | 21 | 2 | Tuesday 1 December | Thursday 31 December |
December 2026 week by week
| Week | Dates | Working days |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 December | 4 |
| 50 | Monday 7 to Friday 11 December | 5 |
| 51 | Monday 14 to Friday 18 December | 5 |
| 52 | Monday 21 to Friday 25 December | 4 |
| 53 | Monday 28 to Thursday 31 December | 3 |
Working hours in December 2026
157.5 hours at 7.5 hours a day, 147 at 7 and 168 at 8.
Booking leave around the December bank holidays
| Nation | Book off | Days of leave | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December | 4 | 10, Saturday 19 December to Monday 28 December |
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December | 3 | 10, Friday 25 December to Sunday 3 January 2027 |
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December and Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December | 7 | 16, Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January 2027 |
| Scotland | Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December | 4 | 10, Saturday 19 December to Monday 28 December |
| Scotland | Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December | 3 | 11, Friday 25 December to Monday 4 January 2027 |
| Scotland | Monday 21 to Thursday 24 December and Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December | 7 | 17, Saturday 19 December to Monday 4 January 2027 |
Compared with December 2025
England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 21 working days, the same as December 2025.
Scotland: 21 working days, 1 more than the 20 in December 2025. The difference: St Andrew's Day fell in December in 2025.
Change these figures in the Working days calculator
Things that could change this figure
- There is no automatic right to paid leave on a bank holiday. Read the guide
- Saturdays and Sundays are excluded as non-working days. Read the guide
Please read
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