Working Days in Every Month of 2026 in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

March 19, 2026 • 6 min read •

By Kate Vodopian

Working Days in Every Month of 2026 in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

If you run a small business, knowing how many working days are in each month is one of those small details that makes a big difference.

It helps with payroll. It helps with planning deadlines. And it helps you avoid that last-minute panic when two people are off and the month turns out to be shorter than you thought.

In the UK, working days are not exactly the same everywhere. England and Wales usually match, but Scotland and Northern Ireland have different bank holidays in some months. In 2026, Scotland also has an extra World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026, which changes the June total there.

How many working days are there in each month of 2026 in the UK?

A working day usually means Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and bank holidays. The exact monthly total depends on where your employees are based and which regional holidays apply.

Working days in England in 2026

• January: 21 working days
• February: 20 working days
• March: 22 working days
• April: 20 working days
• May: 19 working days
• June: 22 working days
• July: 23 working days
• August: 20 working days
• September: 22 working days
• October: 22 working days
• November: 21 working days
• December: 21 working days

England’s 2026 bank holidays are New Year’s Day on 1 January, Good Friday on 3 April, Easter Monday on 6 April, Early May bank holiday on 4 May, Spring bank holiday on 25 May, Summer bank holiday on 31 August, Christmas Day on 25 December, and Boxing Day substitute day on 28 December.

Working days in Wales in 2026

Wales follows the same main bank holiday pattern as England in 2026, so the monthly working-day totals are the same.

• January: 21 working days
• February: 20 working days
• March: 22 working days
• April: 20 working days
• May: 19 working days
• June: 22 working days
• July: 23 working days
• August: 20 working days
• September: 22 working days
• October: 22 working days
• November: 21 working days
• December: 21 working days

Working days in Scotland in 2026

Scotland has a different holiday pattern from England and Wales. In 2026 that includes 2 January, St Andrew’s Day on 30 November, and the additional World Cup bank holiday on 15 June 2026.

• January: 20 working days
• February: 20 working days
• March: 22 working days
• April: 21 working days
• May: 19 working days
• June: 21 working days
• July: 23 working days
• August: 20 working days
• September: 22 working days
• October: 22 working days
• November: 20 working days
• December: 21 working days

The Scottish bank holidays listed nationally for 2026 are 1 January, 2 January, Good Friday, Early May bank holiday, Spring bank holiday, World Cup bank holiday, Summer bank holiday on 3 August, St Andrew’s Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day substitute day on 28 December.

Working days in Northern Ireland in 2026

Northern Ireland has extra regional holidays, including St Patrick’s Day on 17 March and Battle of the Boyne / Orangemen’s Day, which in 2026 is observed on Monday 13 July because 12 July falls on a Sunday.

• January: 21 working days
• February: 20 working days
• March: 21 working days
• April: 20 working days
• May: 19 working days
• June: 22 working days
• July: 22 working days
• August: 20 working days
• September: 22 working days
• October: 22 working days
• November: 21 working days
• December: 21 working days

2026 working days summary table

Why working days matter for small businesses

This is not just a calendar exercise.

When you know the real number of working days in each month, it becomes much easier to:

• plan staffing levels properly
• run payroll and invoicing more accurately
• spot short months before they cause pressure
• manage annual leave more fairly
• set realistic project deadlines

For a small business, that can mean fewer mistakes and fewer awkward conversations.

Frequently asked questions

What is classed as a working day in the UK?

A working day is usually Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and bank holidays. Some sectors such as retail, hospitality, healthcare, and logistics may use a different pattern.

How many working days are there in a month on average?

Most UK months have between 20 and 23 working days, depending on weekends and bank holidays.

Do England and Wales have the same working days in 2026?

Yes. England and Wales follow the same 2026 bank holiday pattern, so their working-day totals are the same.

Why is Scotland different in June 2026?

Because Scotland has a one-off World Cup bank holiday on Monday 15 June 2026. That reduces Scotland’s June total by one working day compared with England and Wales.

Why is Northern Ireland different in March and July?

Northern Ireland has regional holidays for St Patrick’s Day and Battle of the Boyne / Orangemen’s Day, so monthly totals differ from the rest of the UK.

How to calculate working days manually

If you want to do the maths yourself, the method is simple:

1. Count the total number of days in the month
2. Remove Saturdays and Sundays
3. Remove the bank holidays that apply in your region
4. Adjust for any company-specific closure days

For example, May 2026 in England has 31 days, 10 weekend days, and 2 bank holidays, leaving 19 working days.

How to Calculate Working Days Using Excel

The NETWORKDAYS function in Excel (or Google Sheets) calculates the number of working days between two dates, excluding weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and optionally any holidays you specify.

=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

• start_date: The start of the date range
• end_date: The end of the date range
• [holidays] (optional): A range of dates to be excluded from the working‑day count (e.g., public holidays)

Example 1 — Basic usage

=NETWORKDAYS("2024-02-01", "2024-02-28")

This counts all working days in February 2024, excluding weekends.

Example 2 — With holidays

Assume holidays are listed in cells C2:C4 (e.g., 2024-02-14, 2024-02-19, 2024-02-26):

=NETWORKDAYS("2024-02-01", "2024-02-28", C2:C4)

This calculates working days in February 2024, excluding weekends and the holidays in C2:C4.

Quick tips:

• Both start_date and end_date are included in the calculation
• For custom weekends, use NETWORKDAYS.INTL, where you can define which days are weekends

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