Business Day Calculators
UK Business Days 2026
United Kingdom has 253 business days in 2026 under a Monday-Friday workweek after 8 weekday holiday closure dates from GOV.UK bank holidays. Use the monthly and quarter tables for deadline, staffing, carrier, payroll, and approval-window planning before adding employer-specific closures.
- Assumption
- Weekend rule: Saturday and Sunday are non-working days.
- Assumption
- Holiday calendar: England and Wales bank holidays 2026.
- Assumption
- Timezone reference: Europe/London.
- Assumption
- Reviewed on 2026-06-18.
253 business days after holiday exclusions.
261 weekdays before holiday exclusions.
8 weekday holiday closures counted.
Q1: 63, Q2: 61, Q3: 65, Q4: 64 business days by quarter.
Calendar basis: England and Wales bank holidays 2026; custom employer, bank, school, or carrier closures must be added separately.
Use the calendar count
- Choose the calendar
Use the annual count for rough capacity planning only after confirming the holiday calendar.
- Read the count
Use the monthly table when a deadline, staffing window, invoice cycle, visa step, or shipping cutoff sits inside one month.
- Copy the planning row
Open the calculator with the same assumptions when custom closures, regional holidays, or alternate weekends matter.
United Kingdom 2026 business days by month
Counts use a Monday-Friday workweek and the England and Wales bank holidays 2026 closure dates listed below.
| Month | Weekdays | Holiday closures | Business days | Closures counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 1 | 21 | New Year's Day |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 | None |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 | None |
| April | 22 | 2 | 20 | Good Friday; Easter Monday |
| May | 21 | 2 | 19 | Early May bank holiday; Spring bank holiday |
| June | 22 | 0 | 22 | None |
| July | 23 | 0 | 23 | None |
| August | 21 | 1 | 20 | Summer bank holiday |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 | None |
| October | 22 | 0 | 22 | None |
| November | 21 | 0 | 21 | None |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 | Christmas Day; Boxing Day substitute day |
Source calendar: GOV.UK bank holidays.
United Kingdom 2026 business days by quarter
Use quarter totals when capacity planning, invoice timing, or release windows span multiple months.
| Quarter | Weekdays | Holiday closures | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 64 | 1 | 63 |
| Q2 | 65 | 4 | 61 |
| Q3 | 66 | 1 | 65 |
| Q4 | 66 | 2 | 64 |
United Kingdom 2026 holiday closure dates
Closure dates are the dates removed from a Monday-Friday business-day count.
| Holiday | Actual date | Closure date used | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | 2026-01-01 | |
| Good Friday | 2026-04-03 | 2026-04-03 | |
| Easter Monday | 2026-04-06 | 2026-04-06 | |
| Early May bank holiday | 2026-05-04 | 2026-05-04 | |
| Spring bank holiday | 2026-05-25 | 2026-05-25 | |
| Summer bank holiday | 2026-08-31 | 2026-08-31 | |
| Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | 2026-12-25 | |
| Boxing Day substitute day | 2026-12-28 | 2026-12-28 | GOV.UK lists the substitute bank holiday on Monday, December 28, 2026. |
https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays
Copyable summary
Month,Weekdays,Holiday closures,Business days,Closures counted January,22,1,21,New Year's Day February,20,0,20,None March,22,0,22,None April,22,2,20,Good Friday; Easter Monday May,21,2,19,Early May bank holiday; Spring bank holiday June,22,0,22,None July,23,0,23,None August,21,1,20,Summer bank holiday September,22,0,22,None October,22,0,22,None November,21,0,21,None December,23,2,21,Christmas Day; Boxing Day substitute day
Common mistakes
- Counting a holiday that falls on a weekday as a normal workday.
- Using a national calendar when a state, province, school, bank, or employer calendar is different.
- Forgetting that observed dates can differ from the holiday date printed on a wall calendar.
Monthly capacity check
A team needs the UK workday count for a 2026 planning month.
Use the monthly table, then subtract company closures that are not in England and Wales bank holidays 2026.
Employer calendars, banking calendars, and carrier calendars can differ from national holiday lists.
Quarter planning
A release plan spans a full quarter.
Use quarter totals before assigning weekly capacity or SLA windows.
Quarter totals are easier to compare than adding three month rows manually.
Source calendar: GOV.UK bank holidays.