Shift calendar · 2026
Working days and hours 2026
Working days, bank holidays and working hours per month in 2026 in the UK – for a standard week and for shift work. Below the table, pick your shift pattern and see how many hours you really work.
| Month | Days | Working days | Holidays on weekdays | Hours at 40 h/week | Hours at 37.5 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 21 | 1 | 168 | 157.5 |
| February | 28 | 20 | · | 160 | 150 |
| March | 31 | 22 | · | 176 | 165 |
| April | 30 | 20 | 2 | 160 | 150 |
| May | 31 | 19 | 2 | 152 | 142.5 |
| June | 30 | 22 | · | 176 | 165 |
| July | 31 | 23 | · | 184 | 172.5 |
| August | 31 | 20 | 1 | 160 | 150 |
| September | 30 | 22 | · | 176 | 165 |
| October | 31 | 22 | · | 176 | 165 |
| November | 30 | 21 | · | 168 | 157.5 |
| December | 31 | 21 | 2 | 168 | 157.5 |
| Total | 365 | 253 | 8 | 2,024 | 1,897.5 |
Bank holidays 2026
| 1 Jan | Thu | New Year's Day | |
| 3 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | |
| 6 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | |
| 4 May | Mon | Early May bank holiday | |
| 25 May | Mon | Spring bank holiday | |
| 31 Aug | Mon | Summer bank holiday | |
| 25 Dec | Fri | Christmas Day | |
| 26 Dec | Sat | Boxing Day | falls on a weekend |
| 28 Dec | Mon | Boxing Day | substitute day |
How it is calculated
The law does not set a monthly working time fund. The table counts working days (Monday to Friday except public holidays) times 8 hours a day, i.e. a 40-hour week.
The law does not shorten the working week for shift work; a collective agreement may.
Legal basis: Working Time Regulations 1998, bank holidays (England and Wales).
Shift work 2026: hours worked vs. working time
Pick your shift pattern and the first day of your cycle. You will see how many hours you work each month compared with the working time fund.
2 days, 2 nights, 4 off (4 on 4 off): 2,208 hours worked in the year against a fund of 2,024 hours (+184 h).
| Month | Fund | Worked | Difference | Shifts | Nights | On holidays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 168 | 192 | +24 | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| February | 160 | 180 | +20 | 15 | 7 | · |
| March | 176 | 180 | +4 | 15 | 7 | · |
| April | 160 | 168 | +8 | 14 | 8 | · |
| May | 152 | 192 | +40 | 16 | 8 | 2 |
| June | 176 | 192 | +16 | 16 | 8 | · |
| July | 184 | 192 | +8 | 16 | 8 | · |
| August | 160 | 180 | +20 | 15 | 7 | 1 |
| September | 176 | 168 | -8 | 14 | 7 | · |
| October | 176 | 180 | +4 | 15 | 8 | · |
| November | 168 | 192 | +24 | 16 | 8 | · |
| December | 168 | 192 | +24 | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| Total | 2,024 | 2,208 | +184 | 184 | 92 | 5 |
A shift counts on the day it starts, before leave and sick days. Whether the difference is paid as overtime or balanced in a working time account depends on your contract.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days and hours are there in 2026?
2026 has 253 working days. At 40 hours a week that is 2,024 working hours.
How many hours do I work on shifts?
On 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off (4 on 4 off) you work 2,208 hours in 2026 against a working time fund of 2,024 hours. The difference is paid as overtime or balanced in a working time account, depending on your contract.
Does a holiday at the weekend reduce working time?
When a bank holiday falls on a weekend, a substitute day off is usually given on the next working day.
Other years and shift patterns
- Working days 2025
- Working days 2027
- Working days 2028
- 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off (4 on 4 off)
- Continental: 2 earlies, 2 lates, 2 nights, 4 off
- 2-2-3 (Pitman / Panama, 12 h)
- Weekly rotating earlies, lates and nights (Mon–Fri)
- Earlies and lates, weekly rotation (Mon–Fri)
- DuPont (12 h, 4 teams, 28 days)
- 4 days, 4 nights, 4 off each (16-day cycle)
- 24/48 (24 h on, 48 h off)
- Offshore: 2 weeks on, 4 weeks off
- 12 h: day, night, 2 off
Calendar with working days and holidays 2026 on calendar.center