The Debate: Should the UK have more bank holidays?
With not another bank holiday until the end of August, are Brits in need of more time off? Two writers go head to head in this week’s Debate
YES: Rest fuels productivity
We often wear busyness like a badge of honour in the UK – long hours, short breaks and an always-on culture. Yet, despite working some of the longest hours in Europe, we rank low on productivity and even lower on wellbeing.
The answer isn’t to push harder; it’s to pause better. More bank holidays wouldn’t hurt the economy – they’d strengthen it. Countries like France and Germany have more public holidays than the UK, yet remain economic powerhouses. Japan, known for its innovation and discipline, has 16 national holidays. Rest, when structured well, doesn’t reduce performance. It fuels it.
Time away from work gives people the chance to reconnect with themselves, their families and their sense of meaning. That’s not just good for morale, it’s good for business. People who return from meaningful rest are more creative, more engaged and more resilient. And it goes beyond individual benefit. More time to rest and recharge means more time to support local tourism, hospitality and small businesses – sectors that thrive when people are given permission to live, not just work.
We talk a lot about productivity, but forget that productivity is powered by energy, not time. And energy is renewed when people feel valued, trusted and allowed to step back without guilt. More bank holidays won’t fix everything. But they’re a powerful symbol of what we prioritise as a culture. If we want a healthier, more human approach to work, it starts by creating the space for people to reset and recharge.”
Simon Alexander Ong is an executive coach and the author of Energize
NO: Cramming four days of work into five isn’t restful
Bank holidays undoubtedly have an impact on productivity, and therefore, the economy. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published an impact assessment of an additional bank holiday in February 2022, estimating the cost to the economy to be £2.4bn.
Whilst some sectors, such as retail, hospitality and tourism, might see a boost in sales during bank holidays and would therefore benefit from any additional bank holidays, for most sectors this is not the case. The loss of productivity would be an issue for many businesses, especially those in the manufacturing and construction industries, who could struggle to recover their losses.
On an individual level, whilst on the face of thing, additional bank holidays could be seen to benefit employee wellbeing, with the extra time off giving employees more time to relax, the reality may be very different. The ‘bounce back’ from a bank holiday can contribute significantly to feelings of stress, with many still feeling pressure to squeeze five days’ work into four.
Time off is important to relax and recharge, but adding extra bank holidays is not the only way to achieve this. Whilst the UK does have relatively fewer bank holidays than many other nations, we do rank much higher in the amount of paid time off that employees are entitled to. Many businesses also offer additional ‘wellbeing days’ on top of their standard annual leave. This is arguably much better for everyone, as employees can take this time off when it suits them, and businesses do not need to grind to a halt.
Alan Price is CEO at Bright HR
THE VERDICT
That more bank holidays equals more fun may seem a no-brainer to many of us, but are they good for the UK as a whole? Fresh off the back of the spring bank holiday frenzy, now is as good a time as any to weigh it up.
In the Yes corner, Mr Alexander Ong has the people in his heart with the tantalising case that more time off not only increases wellbeing but productivity. But is this too good to be true? In the case of Japan, it seems so. They may have 16 bank holidays, but they also have the lowest productivity in the G7. Oh dear. Moreover, with Japanese businesses only obliged to provide 10 days paid annual leave, they may not even be having more fun – a lose-lose.
In this vein, Mr Price is right to remind us that what British workers lack in bank holidays, they make up for in annual leave. And though there is advantage in shared time off, there is a distinct premium in autonomy. Given the choice, CityAM hazards most workers would opt for more annual leave over more bank holidays, so perhaps we should be happy with our lot after all.