As the August Bank Holiday rolled around in 2023, I found myself once again tethered to my home office. The skies were cloudy and the air muggy—certainly not the kind of weather to lure me outdoors to the nearby beaches along the south coast. Yet even with sunshine, I wouldn’t have ventured out. The rural serenity of my area, near the South Downs National Park, becomes a bustling hive of traffic for eight days of the year, as visitors crowd the roads, especially the M27 and A3, in search of an extended weekend escape.
As a freelance writer, I worked the entire bank holiday Monday last year. For many of the 4.2 million solo self-employed workers in the UK, the decision to work on bank holidays is an easy one. After all, we don’t receive holiday pay, so these days off don’t mean extra money in the bank—they just mean fewer opportunities to earn. In fact, many freelancers may find themselves asking, like the Dowager Countess of Downton Abbey, “What is a weekend?”
This year, unless a spontaneous invite from friends or family comes my way, I’ll be working again—and I’m perfectly content with that decision.
While I’m not suggesting that we eliminate paid public holidays entirely, given that England and Wales already have some of the lowest numbers in Europe (eight per year, compared to Scotland’s nine and Northern Ireland’s ten), I do question why we insist on dictating to the entire population when they should take a paid day off.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to allow people the freedom to choose when to take their break?
Of course, I understand that in certain industries, such as manufacturing, where entire operations rely on full staffing, it’s not always possible to let employees pick random days off. Employers need to manage safety, rotas, and ensure productivity. But in many other workplaces, it seems unnecessary to enforce a prescribed day of rest.
For those working in flexible or freelance roles, bank holidays often feel like just another workday with added inconveniences—fewer people available for quick quotes, and the flood of out-of-office replies to frantic emails sent with deadlines looming. And then there are essential services like HMRC’s helpline, which closes on bank holidays, frustrating those who finally find time to handle tax issues during the break.
It’s not just freelancers who could benefit from more flexibility, either. Many people would prefer to take time off for holidays and celebrations that matter more personally to them. For example, some might prefer to observe Eid or Diwali rather than Easter Monday or the Spring Bank Holiday. Others may simply want a random day off to spend time with family, travel, or recharge without the justification of an official holiday.
Companies like energy provider OVO are already paving the way for a more flexible approach. Staff at OVO can choose to work bank holidays and then take another day off at a time that suits them. This flexibility is something employees are clamoring for—OVO’s research in April last year found that nearly three in four UK workers (72%) wanted flexible bank holidays. Half of the respondents wanted to make time for special occasions like weddings, while a third cited religious and cultural events as their preferred reason for taking time off. A further 31% said they would save their days off for foreign travel.
It’s clear that people are ready for change. For example, of all the bank holidays, UK workers were most interested in swapping out the late May Spring Bank Holiday, according to the research. Grant Thornton, a firm that offers flexible bank holidays to its employees, estimates that around 20% of its workforce is now opting to work on bank holidays and take time off when it suits them.
Of course, some may argue that this kind of change is too difficult to implement. What happens if everyone wants to take the same day off—say, during a major sporting event like a World Cup match? Yet smart employers are already finding ways to accommodate these situations. During the recent England vs. Spain Euros final, for example, supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury’s closed stores early so employees could watch the match. Similarly, Gymshark gave its UK-based employees the Monday off following the final.
With 365 days in a year, it’s unlikely that every employee will want the same day off. Moreover, the benefits of flexible bank holidays would likely far outweigh the logistical challenges.
For sole traders like me, bank holidays are often more of a nuisance than a relief—ordinary workdays with added hassle. Yet, if given the choice, I would gladly work through soggy Spring bank holidays and New Year’s Day in exchange for a couple of sunny Fridays in September. There’s something special about savoring the last rays of summer on a deserted beach before autumn quietly arrives.
It’s time we rethink the rigid structure of bank holidays and give people the freedom to take time off when it truly matters to them. If employers embrace this flexibility, we could see a happier, more satisfied workforce across the UK.