Christmas Day is always a bank holiday, unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Should this occur, the bank holiday is moved to a "substitute" weekday.
The same applies to Boxing Day, which will see its bank holiday "move" to December 28 in 2026, owing to it falling on a Saturday.
While most workers enjoy Christmas Day off, this is not always guaranteed, and employers are under no legal obligation to grant staff the day off.
Whether you receive Christmas Day off will ultimately depend on several factors, and if you are required to work, you are not automatically entitled to additional pay, either.
If bank holidays are not part of your standard entitlement, you may be required to work on Christmas Day.
Certain sectors, including pubs and restaurants, remain open on bank holidays as these frequently represent their busiest trading periods.
If you work within such an industry, your employer will likely need as many staff available as possible to manage the surge in trade.
According to Redmans Solicitors, however, one piece of legislation may protect shop workers from being required to work on December 25 - under the Christmas Day (Trading) Act 2004, retail outlets exceeding 280 square metres cannot open for business on Christmas Day.
The experts also note that there is a widespread misconception that Christians would be exempt from working on Christmas Day on religious grounds, though this is not actually the case.
Am I entitled to have Christmas Day off work?If you are contractually required to work on Christmas Day, refusing to do so could result in dismissal. Should you not receive Christmas Day off automatically, you may attempt to book it as annual leave or swap shifts with a colleague.
Ultimately, there is no legal obligation for employers to grant staff the day off on bank holidays.
If you are uncertain whether bank holidays are included within your holiday entitlement, it is advisable to check your employment contract thoroughly.
Whether or not you will have December 25 off work largely depends on your employer and the terms of your contract.
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