The bank holidays
England and Wales, and Northern Ireland:
- Fri 25 Dec 2026: Christmas Day
- Mon 28 Dec 2026: Boxing Day (substitute day)
- Fri 1 Jan 2027: New Year’s Day
Scotland, where 2 January is also a bank holiday and moves to the Monday because it falls on a Saturday:
- Fri 25 Dec 2026: Christmas Day
- Mon 28 Dec 2026: Boxing Day (substitute day)
- Fri 1 Jan 2027: New Year’s Day
- Mon 4 Jan 2027: 2nd January (substitute day)
Monday to Friday: book three days, get ten off
Book Tue 29 Dec – Thu 31 Dec and you're off from Fri 25 Dec 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027: 10 days in a row for 3 days of leave.
In Scotland the same three days give you 11 days, from Fri 25 Dec 2026 – Mon 4 Jan 2027, because of the extra bank holiday on Monday 4 January.
Want longer? Add Mon 21 Dec – Thu 24 Dec as well. That's 7 days of leave for 16 days off (Sat 19 Dec 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027), or 17 in Scotland.
On a four-day week (Monday to Thursday), the same three days give you 10 days off, from Fri 25 Dec 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027.
If you work shifts
Most of the people who keep the country running over Christmas don't get bank holidays off. Care homes, hospitals, warehouses, hotels, security and transport all run through, so the bank holiday trick above doesn't apply to your rota. What does work:
- Find where your rest days fall. On a 4-on-4-off rota, booking one block of four shifts next to your days off gives you 12 days in a row.
- Swap rather than book. Trading a Christmas Day shift for New Year’s Eve, or the other way round, often costs no leave at all.
- Ask about premium pay before you give a shift away. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day often pay time and a half or double time, but only if your contract says so. There’s no legal right to it.
- Put your rota into the holiday planner to see the best blocks for your pattern.
Shops close on Christmas Day
Large shops (over 280 square metres) in England, Wales and Scotland can’t open on Christmas Day, so if you work in a big store that day is off. Boxing Day and New Year’s Day aren’t covered, so expect to be asked to work them.
Getting your leave approved
Unless your contract says otherwise, the legal default is that you give notice of at least twice the length of the leave: six days’ notice for three days off. Your employer can refuse by giving notice as long as the leave you asked for, and can tell you when to take leave too, for example a Christmas shutdown.
Many workplaces run a Christmas rota or first-come-first-served list well before the legal minimum, so ask now. If you're turned down, ask for the reason and whether the next free week is any better.
Make it count
Shiftaan works out your hours and expected pay for every shift, even ones that cross midnight. Open the app.
Common questions
Is Boxing Day a bank holiday in 2026?
Yes, but because 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December across the UK.
How many days off can I get over Christmas 2026?
Working Monday to Friday, booking Tue 29 Dec – Thu 31 Dec gives you 10 days off in a row in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 11 in Scotland.
Do I get paid extra for working Christmas Day?
Only if your contract says so. There’s no legal right to extra pay or time off for working a bank holiday.
Can my employer refuse Christmas leave?
Yes. Unless your contract says otherwise, they can refuse by giving you notice at least as long as the leave you asked for.