Counting working days looks like arithmetic until you notice that the three UK nations observe different bank holidays. The answer to “how many working days are there in July” genuinely depends on where you work.
Scotland has nine but does not observe Easter Monday, which is why the difference from England and Wales is one day rather than two. There is no automatic right to take any of them off.
Bank holidays by nation
| Nation | Permanent bank holidays | Distinctive days |
|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 8 | — |
| Scotland | 9 | 2 January, St Andrew’s Day; no Easter Monday |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | St Patrick’s Day, Battle of the Boyne |
Scotland has nine but does not observe Easter Monday, which is why the difference from England and Wales is one day rather than two.
Count working days for your dates
Substitute days
When Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls at a weekend, a substitute weekday is designated instead, and that substitute is the bank holiday. Anyone working Monday to Friday generally gains from substitution; anyone working weekends may not.
Counting conventions
Most people mean both dates included when they ask how many working days there are between two dates. Monday to Friday is five working days, not four.
Contracts sometimes count differently — “within 10 working days” may exclude the day of the request. If a deadline turns on it, check the wording rather than assuming.
Bank holidays are not a right
There is no automatic entitlement to paid leave on a bank holiday. Your employer may require you to work one, and may count bank holidays towards your 5.6 weeks of statutory holiday rather than giving them on top.
That distinction is worth about eight days a year. Our guide to bank holidays and annual leave covers it in full.
Where the dates come from
The official GOV.UK bank holiday feed, refreshed weekly. One-off holidays declared for national events appear in the feed as they are announced.
Sources
- UK bank holidays — GOV.UK
- Holiday entitlement — GOV.UK
Checked against source on 30 August 2026. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Written by Nathan Cole
I built the calculators on HoursHQ and check every statutory figure against GOV.UK, Acas and the legislation itself before it goes live. Where the law is genuinely unclear, I say so rather than guessing.