When’s the next bank holiday? UK long weekends list 2018 – from May Day to the August bank holiday
What is a bank holiday?
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the UK when most people are given an extra day off work.
It was Liberal MP John Lubbock who first tabled the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 and said its aim was to ease pressure on workers by giving them an extra four days off.
At that point, those days were Easter Monday, the first Monday in August, Whit Monday and Boxing Day.
Over the years more have been added, and the UK now has a total of eight bank holidays - including Christmas Day, May Day and New Year's Day.
They were given the name bank holidays as banks are closed - and if they can't do business, no-one else can.
Similarly, schools are shut on bank holidays, and transport services are often scaled back.
Does everyone get bank holidays off?
Bank or public holidays do not have to be given to employees as paid leave, an employer can decide whether to include bank holidays as part of a worker's statutory leave.
Government website Gov.uk has more details on what your worker's rights are in regards to public holidays.
Bank holidays may also impact how benefits are paid - but there's more info on Gov.uk.
When are the bank holidays in 2018?
Here is the full list of the remaining bank holidays in 2018, although dates in Scotland and Northern Ireland vary:
- Monday May 7 (Early May bank holiday)
- Monday May 28 (Spring bank holiday)
- Monday August 27 (Summer bank holiday)
- Tuesday December 25 (Christmas Day)
- Wednesday December 26 (Boxing Day)
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