January 2026 has 21 working days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 20 in Scotland.
How many working days are there in January 2026?
Bank holiday dates from the GOV.UK feed, last checked on 3 October 2026.
January 2026 starts on a Thursday and ends on a Saturday, so it has 22 weekdays and 9 weekend days.
Bank holidays in January 2026
| Date | Bank holiday | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day | All of the UK |
| Friday 2 January | 2nd January | Scotland only |
2nd January is not a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so Friday 2 January is a normal working day there.
The next bank holiday in England, Wales and Scotland is Good Friday on Friday 3 April 2026, 44 working days after January ends.
The next bank holiday in Northern Ireland is St Patrick's Day on Tuesday 17 March 2026, 31 working days after January ends.
January 2026 by nation
| Nation | Working days | Bank holidays | First working day | Last working day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | 21 | 1 | Friday 2 January | Friday 30 January |
| Scotland | 20 | 2 | Monday 5 January | Friday 30 January |
The first working day of January is Friday 2 January in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Monday 5 January in Scotland.
31 January is a Saturday, so if you are paid on the last working day, payday comes 1 day early, on Friday 30 January.
Working days left in 2026 after January: 232 in England and Wales, 231 in Scotland and 230 in Northern Ireland.
January 2026 week by week
| Week | Dates | Working days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday 1 to Friday 2 January | 1 (0 in Scotland) |
| 2 | Monday 5 to Friday 9 January | 5 |
| 3 | Monday 12 to Friday 16 January | 5 |
| 4 | Monday 19 to Friday 23 January | 5 |
| 5 | Monday 26 to Friday 30 January | 5 |
Working hours in January 2026
England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 157.5 hours at 7.5 hours a day, 147 at 7 and 168 at 8.
Scotland: 150 hours at 7.5 hours a day, 140 at 7 and 160 at 8.
Booking leave around the January bank holidays
| Nation | Book off | Days of leave | Days off in a row |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December 2025 and Friday 2 January | 4 | 11, Thursday 25 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January |
| Scotland | Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December 2025 | 3 | 11, Thursday 25 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January |
Compared with January 2025
England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 21 working days, 1 fewer than the 22 in January 2025. The difference: 1 fewer weekday this year.
Scotland: 20 working days, 1 fewer than the 21 in January 2025. The difference: 1 fewer weekday this year.
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
This counts weekdays minus bank holidays. It does not know your contract, your shift pattern, or your workplace closures.
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