Am I entitled to Bank Holidays and public holidays in addition to the minimum holiday entitlement under the Working Time Regulations?

Employers may include bank holidays and public holidays in the minimum entitlement, currently 5.6 weeks.

However, many employers add statutory holidays to the minimum. You should consult your contract of employment to establish the exact position.

The Labour government closed the loophole that allowed mean employers to count bank holidays against the 4 weeks' minimum provided by Europe. However, it achieved this by increasing the minimum entitlement rather than by providing a new right to take bank holidays off work.

There is no right to take bank holidays off work, unless it is promised in your contract of employment.