Annual leave and entitlement
Because many UK bank holidays fall on a Monday or Friday, booking the working days around them bridges the holiday to the weekend and stretches a few days off into a long break. Dates & Times' long-weekend maximiser uses the official 2026 gov.uk bank-holiday dates for your nation to suggest the most efficient leave dates. Separately, almost all UK workers are entitled to a statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days, which the entitlement calculator works out pro-rata. This is general information, not employment advice: check your contract.
Long-weekend maximiser
Enter your leave allowance and nation to find the best dates to book around the 2026 bank holidays.
How this is worked out
Each 2026 bank holiday already sits next to a weekend or can be bridged to one. The tool looks at the working days (Monday to Friday) between each bank holiday and the nearest weekend, and treats booking those days as a "bridge".
days off = the unbroken run of weekend + bank-holiday + booked days
efficiency = days off ÷ leave days spent
the tool takes the most efficient bridges first until your leave runs out
Bank-holiday dates are the official 2026 dates from gov.uk Bank Holidays for your chosen nation. Substitute days (for example when a holiday lands on a weekend) follow the gov.uk list. This is a planning guide: confirm dates with your employer before booking.
Statutory holiday entitlement
Your minimum paid holiday, pro-rata for part-time or irregular hours (the 12.07% method).
How this is worked out
Almost all UK workers get a statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days for someone working five or more days a week.
set days: entitlement = days per week × 5.6 (capped at 28)
irregular hours: holiday accrued = hours worked × 12.07%
12.07% is 5.6 weeks ÷ (52 − 5.6 weeks), the GOV.UK method for casual and zero-hours staff
If your full-time scheme is more than the statutory 28 days, the days method uses your scheme figure pro-rata. Bank holidays can count towards the minimum, so an employer is allowed to include them. Source: GOV.UK holiday entitlement and the Working Time Regulations 1998. This is general information, not employment advice: check your contract.
Irregular or part-year hours
If your hours vary or you only work part of the year, holiday builds up at 12.07% of the hours you work. The irregular hours holiday accrual calculator works it out in hours, days and rolled-up pay.
For the full list of dates the maximiser plans around, see the 2026 UK bank holidays. Entitlement rules follow GOV.UK holiday entitlement guidance and the Working Time Regulations 1998.
Common questions
How does the long-weekend maximiser save annual leave?
Because many UK bank holidays fall on a Monday or Friday, booking the working days next to them bridges the holiday to the weekend, so a few days of leave turn into a longer break. The maximiser uses the official 2026 gov.uk bank-holiday dates for your nation to suggest the most efficient dates.
How much paid holiday am I entitled to?
Almost all UK workers get a statutory minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, capped at 28 days for someone working five or more days a week. The entitlement calculator works this out pro-rata for your pattern. Source: GOV.UK holiday entitlement and the Working Time Regulations 1998.
Can my employer include bank holidays in my holiday allowance?
Yes. The Working Time Regulations 1998 give almost all workers 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, capped at 28 days for a five-day week, and an employer is allowed to include bank holidays within that 5.6 weeks. A contract offering 28 days including bank holidays still meets the legal minimum.
Do part-time workers get bank holidays pro-rata?
If an employer gives paid bank holidays on top of statutory leave, part-time staff should receive a pro-rata share, even when a bank holiday falls on a day they do not work. Bank holidays do not have to be given as paid leave at all, but where they are, part-timers should not be treated less favourably.
Is this employment advice?
No. These calculators and answers are general information about the statutory minimum. Your own entitlement comes from your contract, so check it and the GOV.UK holiday entitlement guidance for your position.
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Editor, Dates & Times
Oliver Mackman is the named editor of Dates & Times and a director of Best Business Loans Ltd (Companies House 16833937), the company that operates the site. He is accountable for its editorial standards, sourcing and corrections, and requires every result to cite the underlying date maths and the official UK source behind it, such as the gov.uk Bank Holidays API.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026