Ben working in administration asks "I was out sick during a bank holiday. Am I entitled to benefit from it?"

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Hi Ben, you are entitled to benefit for the public holiday you missed, if you are a full-time worker.

In ROI

You are entitled to one of the following:

  • A paid day off on the public holiday
  • An additional day of annual leave
  • An additional day's pay
  • A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
  • If you are a part-time worker, you are entitled to benefit for the public holiday, provided you worked for your employer for at least 40 hours in the previous five-week period.
  • You are not entitled to benefit from a public holiday if you have been out for more than 26 consecutive weeks.
  • You are not entitled to benefit from a public holiday if you have been out for more than 52 weeks due to an occupational accident.
  • You are not entitled to benefit from a public holiday if you are absent immediately before the public holiday.

In NI

If you are a full-time worker, and you’re off sick on a bank holiday, you are usually entitled to receive your normal pay for that day, provided you’re entitled to statutory holiday entitlement and your employment contract doesn’t say otherwise.

Bank holidays are not automatically paid in Northern Ireland, but most full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday per year, which can include bank holidays.

You may be entitled to one of the following, depending on your employer’s policy and your contract:

  • Paid sick leave that covers the bank holiday
  • Statutory holiday pay (if your holiday entitlement includes bank holidays)
  • A day off in lieu, if this is provided in your contract

If you’re a part-time worker, your entitlement is based on your regular hours. If bank holidays are part of your leave entitlement, you should still get paid for them on a pro-rata basis—even if you were off sick.

Important notes:

  • You are not entitled to extra pay or time off just because you were sick on a bank holiday, unless your contract or employer’s policy provides for it.
  • If you’re on long-term sick leave, you continue to accrue statutory holiday entitlement, but whether that includes bank holidays depends on your contract.
  • You don’t automatically lose the holiday benefit because you were ill, but you do need to check your contract or speak to your employer about how they handle it.

If in doubt, speak to your union rep or check with your HR department.