Bank holidays 2020: List of dates and days they fall on this year
We are finally coming out of lockdown and many people will be thinking about how to spend the bank holidays for the next 12 months.
As well as annual leave workers in England can take advantage of eight bank holidays throughout the year.
There are eight bank holidays for 2020, although the early May bank holiday date – usually the first Monday in May - was switched because of VE Day.
This means the next bank holiday will fall on Monday August 31, the last day of the month.
There have been calls for the government to add an extra bank holiday to the calendar in October to help the struggling tourism and hospitality sector.
Bank holidays may also affect how and when benefits, including Universal Credit, are paid.
Here is the full list of bank holidays this year and the dates they fall on:
Monday August 31 – August Bank Holiday
Friday December 25 – Christmas Day
Monday December 28 (substitute day) – Boxing Day
Here are the bank holiday dates for 2021:
Friday January 1 – New Year’s Day
Friday April 2 – Good Friday
Monday April 5 – Easter Monday
Monday May 3 – Early May Bank Holiday
Monday May 31 – Spring Bank Holiday
Monday August 30 – Summer Bank Holiday
Monday December 27 – Christmas Day Holiday
Tuesday December 28 – Boxing Day Holiday
If a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a ‘substitute’ weekday will become the next bank holiday – which is usually the following Monday. This will happen in 2020 for Boxing Day, and for Christmas in 2021.
Your employer does not have to give you paid leave on bank holidays – you will need to check with them about this.