UK will get a 3-day working week at the end of the year - here's when and why

UK will get a 3-day working week at the end of the year - here's when and whyBank holidays make working weeks that little bit nicer when you know you have a long weekend coming up - and this calendar quirk bags workers a three-day week at the end of the yearCommentsNewsNiamh Kirk Lifestyle Writer10:26, 13 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesEmployees are entitled to a three-day working week this year(Image: AFP via Getty Images)Few things brighten a work week like the prospect of a long weekend. Whether you need the extra rest or just a change of pace, bank holidays are a welcome reprieve - and 2026 is ending with a particularly generous schedule.‌In England there are eight bank holidays this year, Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has 10 and fortunately this year, we're treated to a "substitute" bank holiday which will give us a three-day working week too.‌When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, it is officially moved to the next available weekday (usually the following Monday) so that workers don't "lose" their day off and is called a "substitute" bank holiday.‌This December, Christmas Day falls on a Friday, and therefore Boxing Day will be on Saturday, resulting in a 'substitute' bank holiday, and will be moved to Monday, December 28.READ MORE: 'All' UK travellers warned to check one thing 'before you go' on holidayView 2 ImagesMany people maximise their annual leave by booking time off around the bank holidaysHowever, New Year's Day also falls on a Friday, so both the Friday and Monday of that week will be bank holidays, resulting in the very last week of 2026 will be a three-day working week.‌The Government states on the website : "If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday. Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank or public holidays. Bank holidays might affect how and when your benefits are paid."...