Working Bank Holidays in the NHS: Pay, Time Off in Lieu and Part-Time Rules
Working a bank holiday in the NHS earns an enhanced rate and time off in lieu. Here is how it works, with examples for each band.
Updated · 4 min read
Try it with your own numbersNHS Shift Pay CalculatorHospitals do not close for bank holidays, so many NHS staff work them. Agenda for Change gives staff who do two things: an enhanced rate of pay for the hours worked, and time off in lieu so they do not lose a public holiday. This guide explains both, plus how part-time staff are treated.
Your public holiday entitlement
In England there are 8 public holidays a year: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, the early May bank holiday, the spring bank holiday, the summer bank holiday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. When Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day falls on a weekend, a substitute weekday becomes the public holiday.
Full-time staff are entitled to these 8 days on top of their annual leave of 27, 29 or 33 days. In hours, that is 8 × 7.5 = 60 hours a year.
Pay for working a bank holiday
Hours worked on a public holiday are paid at the same enhanced rate as Sundays:
| Band | Public holiday enhancement |
|---|---|
| Band 2 | basic hourly rate plus 88% |
| Band 3 | basic hourly rate plus 74% |
| Bands 4 to 9 | basic hourly rate plus 60% |
The enhancement applies to the hours worked during the public holiday, from midnight to midnight.
Time off in lieu
Because you have worked a day you would otherwise have had off, you are also entitled to equivalent time off in lieu, which you can take at another time. This is in addition to the enhanced pay. Most employers ask you to take the time off within a set period, so check your local policy and plan it with your manager.
Examples
A Band 5 nurse working a 11.5-hour day shift on Easter Monday at the entry point (£16.40 an hour):
- Enhancement: 11.5 × £16.40 × 60% = £113.16 on top of normal pay
- Plus time off in lieu for the public holiday
A Band 2 healthcare assistant working 11.5 hours on Boxing Day (£12.92 an hour):
- Enhancement: 11.5 × £12.92 × 88% = £130.75
- Plus time off in lieu
You can work out any shift with the shift pay calculator, including shifts that start on one day and finish on the next.
Overtime on a bank holiday
If the hours are overtime, meaning beyond 37.5 hours in the week for a full-time employee, Bands 1 to 7 are paid at double time instead of the unsocial hours rate. You do not get both the overtime rate and the enhancement on the same hours. Bands 8a and above are not normally paid overtime at enhanced rates.
Night shifts that cross into a bank holiday
Unsocial hours are paid by the hour, so a night shift is split by the clock:
- hours before midnight on a normal weekday attract the night rate (plus 30% for Bands 4 to 9)
- hours after midnight on the public holiday attract the public holiday rate (plus 60%)
The same applies in reverse for a night shift that starts on the bank holiday and finishes the next morning.
Part-time staff and bank holidays
Part-time staff get public holiday entitlement in proportion to their hours, given as hours rather than days. Someone working 22.5 hours a week (60% of full time) gets 36 hours of public holiday entitlement a year. This is added to their annual leave.
When a bank holiday falls on a day you would normally work, you use some of that entitlement for the day off. When it falls on a day you do not work, you do not lose anything, because your entitlement is already pro rata. If a rota means you need to work more bank holidays than your entitlement covers, you may need to use annual leave or be rostered differently. The annual leave calculator converts your entitlement into hours.
Christmas and New Year
Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays, and the enhanced rate applies. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are not public holidays, but evening and night hours on those days attract the normal night enhancement.
Common questions
Do I get the enhancement if I am on annual leave on a bank holiday? No. The enhancement is for hours worked. Your public holiday entitlement covers the day off.
What if I am off sick on a bank holiday? Local policies vary. Many employers treat the public holiday as taken. Some allow it to be reinstated. Check your trust's sickness policy.
Is bank holiday pay taxed differently? No. It is added to your pay for the month and taxed in the normal way, but a larger payment can push part of that month's pay into a higher band or over a student loan threshold.
Plan your shifts
Use the shift pay calculator to see what a bank holiday shift pays before you swap or pick it up.
This guide explains the general rules for staff in England using 2026/27 figures. It is not financial advice. Your employer, payslip or NHS Pensions statement has the final word on your own pay.