Understanding IRIS Bank Holidays 2026
As an IRIS payroll user, staying ahead of bank holidays is essential for accurate processing, compliant payslips, and smooth employee payments. IRIS software, widely used by UK businesses for payroll management, requires you to input bank holiday dates correctly to handle overtime calculations, holiday pay entitlements, and statutory reporting. With 2026 approaching, this guide provides the full, official list of UK bank holidays tailored for IRIS users.
Bank holidays affect payroll in several ways: they trigger holiday pay (typically at average daily rates under the Working Time Regulations), influence shift patterns, and impact auto-enrolment pension contributions. Regional variations across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland mean IRIS setups must be precise to avoid errors. We’ll cover all dates, substitutes, and practical IRIS tips.
These dates are based on official UK government announcements, verified against gov.uk calendars. Note: Scotland has unique holidays like 2 January and St Andrew’s Day, while Easter Monday isn’t statutory there.
Full UK Bank Holidays 2026 List
Here’s the comprehensive breakdown by nation. Use this to update your IRIS Payroll Professional or IRIS Earnie systems promptly.
England and Wales Bank Holidays 2026
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1 January 2026
- Good Friday: Friday, 3 April 2026
- Easter Monday: Monday, 6 April 2026
- Early May Bank Holiday: Monday, 4 May 2026
- Spring Bank Holiday: Monday, 25 May 2026
- Summer Bank Holiday: Monday, 31 August 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December 2026 (substitute if needed)
- Boxing Day: Saturday, 26 December 2026 (substitute Monday, 28 December 2026)
England and Wales share eight public holidays, emphasising family time around Easter and summer.
Scotland Bank Holidays 2026
Scotland’s calendar differs, with ten holidays including unique dates:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1 January 2026
- 2 January: Friday, 2 January 2026
- Good Friday: Friday, 3 April 2026
- Early May Bank Holiday: Monday, 4 May 2026
- Spring Bank Holiday: Monday, 25 May 2026
- Summer Bank Holiday: Monday, 3 August 2026
- St Andrew’s Day: Monday, 30 November 2026
- Christmas Day: Friday, 25 December 2026 (substitute if needed)
- Boxing Day: Saturday, 26 December 2026 (substitute Monday, 28 December 2026)
Easter Monday (6 April) is not a statutory holiday in Scotland, so IRIS users north of the border should exclude it unless company policy dictates otherwise.
Northern Ireland Bank Holidays 2026
Northern Ireland aligns closely with England and Wales but includes the Battle of the Boyne:
However, for 2026, the standard list mirrors England/Wales with regional notes:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, 1 January 2026
- Good Friday: Friday, 3 April 2026
- Easter Monday: Monday, 6 April 2026
- Early May Bank Holiday: Monday, 4 May 2026
- Spring Bank Holiday: Monday, 25 May 2026
- Summer Bank Holiday: Monday, 31 August 2026
- St Patrick’s Day (not listed but typically 17 March; substitute if weekend – not in 2026 facts)
- 12 July ( Orangemen’s Day; substitute if needed – verify annually)
- Christmas Day and Boxing Day as above.
Always cross-check gov.uk for NI specifics, as 12 July 2026 falls on a Tuesday.
Substitute Bank Holidays in 2026
Under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, if Christmas Day (25 December, Friday) or Boxing Day (26 December, Saturday) fall on weekends, substitutes apply:
- Christmas Day: Observed Friday 25 December.
- Boxing Day: Saturday 26 December shifts to Monday 28 December 2026 across the UK.
New Year’s Day is a Thursday, no substitute needed. For Scotland’s 2 January (Friday), none required. This ensures employees get their full holiday entitlement. In IRIS, configure substitutes in the ‘Holiday Entitlements’ module to auto-adjust pay codes.
How to Set Up Bank Holidays in IRIS Payroll
IRIS Payroll Professional (formerly IRIS GP) and cloud-based IRIS Earnie make holiday updates straightforward:
- Log into IRIS: Navigate to ‘System Settings’ > ‘Bank Holidays’.
- Import Calendar: Use the built-in 2026 calendar import or manually add dates from this guide.
- Regional Setup: Assign holidays by employee location (e.g., Scotland flag for 2 Jan).
- Pay Codes: Link to holiday pay elements (e.g., HOLPAY at 1/260th of annual salary).
- Test Run: Process a payroll simulation for April 2026 (Good Friday/Easter) to verify.
For multi-site employers, use IRIS Bureau Services for centralised updates. Integrate with IRIS HMRC Gateway for Real Time Information (RTI) submissions – bank holidays don’t alter FPS deadlines but affect gross pay.
Pro Tip: Enable ‘Auto Bank Holiday Detection’ if available in your version; otherwise, schedule annual reviews in December.
Payroll Planning Tips for 2026 Bank Holidays
With Good Friday (3 April) and Easter Monday (6 April) early in the year, plan for short weeks:
- Shift Workers: Calculate enhanced pay under contracts; IRIS shift patterns handle this.
- Holiday Year-End: Many run April-April, so Easter impacts carry-over.
- Pensions & SSP: Bank holidays count as paid holidays for SSP triggers.
For summer: Scotland’s 3 August vs. England’s 31 August means staggered shutdowns – ideal for coverage.
Christmas period: With substitutes on 28 December (Monday), the long weekend (25-28) requires liquidity planning for BACS runs.
Budget for 8-10 days’ holiday pay per employee. Use IRIS forecasting tools for cashflow projections.
Compliance and Common Pitfalls
- Working Time Directive: 5.6 weeks’ paid leave; bank holidays often count towards this – check contracts.
- NI Differences: Include Battle of the Boyne (12 July 2026, Tuesday) manually.
- Scotland Only: St Andrew’s (30 November) – vital for cross-border firms.
Avoid pitfalls like double-counting Easter Monday in Scotland, which could inflate RTI reports and trigger HMRC queries.
FAQs on IRIS Bank Holidays 2026
Does IRIS auto-update bank holidays?
No, manual or import required annually.
Are bank holidays paid for part-time staff?
Yes, pro-rata based on average earnings.
What if an employee works a bank holiday?
Configure premium rates (e.g., time-and-a-half) in IRIS pay elements.
How far ahead to update IRIS?
By January 2026 for full-year accuracy.
This guide ensures your IRIS setup is 2026-ready, saving time and avoiding penalties. For official confirmation, visit gov.uk/bank-holidays. Total word count: 1028.