Christmas Day is always a bank holiday, except when it falls on a weekend. In such instances, the bank holiday transfers to a “substitute” weekday.
The same applies to Boxing Day, which this year will see its bank holiday “move” to December 28, as it falls on a Saturday.
While most people receive Christmas Day and Boxing Day off work, this isn’t guaranteed, and employers aren’t legally required to grant the day off. Whether you receive bank holidays off depends on various factors, and if you’re required to work, you’re not automatically entitled to additional pay.
If bank holidays off aren’t specified in your contract, you won’t automatically receive Christmas Day off – or the substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day (Monday, December 28).
Since Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year, you should receive it off if you don’t typically work weekends. According to Davidson Morris, employees cannot be made to work weekends unless they’ve agreed to this arrangement with their employer.
This means weekend working depends on whether any provisions requiring weekend work exist in an individual’s employment contract.
In many industries, including retail, hospitality, and healthcare, Saturday is regarded as a standard working day, and staff may be required to work as part of their usual rota.
For other industries, particularly those with office-based positions, Saturday is generally considered a day off, with the conventional working week spanning Monday through Friday.
Essentially, you should only have to work Boxing Day this year if your contract stipulates weekend working, and your employer does not give you the day off.