UK Payroll Calendar
Generator 2026–2031
Generate every pay date for the year — weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly, or monthly. Auto-adjusts for weekends and UK bank holidays. Download as CSV or print.
Updated May 2026 · England & Wales bank holidays
12 pay dates · Monthly · 2026
3 dates adjusted for weekends/bank holidays
| # | Pay date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fri, 30 Jan 2026 | Friday | |
| 2 | Fri, 27 Feb 2026 | Friday | Moved from Sat, 28 Feb 2026 (weekend) |
| 3 | Mon, 30 Mar 2026 | Monday | |
| 4 | Thu, 30 Apr 2026 | Thursday | |
| 5 | Fri, 29 May 2026 | Friday | Moved from Sat, 30 May 2026 (weekend) |
| 6 | Tue, 30 Jun 2026 | Tuesday | |
| 7 | Thu, 30 Jul 2026 | Thursday | |
| 8 | Fri, 28 Aug 2026 | Friday | Moved from Sun, 30 Aug 2026 (weekend) |
| 9 | Wed, 30 Sept 2026 | Wednesday | |
| 10 | Fri, 30 Oct 2026 | Friday | |
| 11 | Mon, 30 Nov 2026 | Monday | |
| 12 | Wed, 30 Dec 2026 | Wednesday |
Tired of emailing payslips one by one every payday?
Ghugi sends every payslip PDF to every employee automatically — secure, GDPR-compliant, with one click. Designed for UK small businesses who already have payslips from BrightPay, Xero, Sage, or an accountant.
No credit card required · Cancel anytime · UK-built
How to use this payroll calendar generator
- Pick your pay frequency — weekly, fortnightly, 4-weekly, or monthly.
- Set the first pay date of the year (or any starting point).
- Choose how to handle pay dates that fall on a weekend or UK bank holiday. Most employers pay earlier so wages don’t land late.
- The calendar updates instantly as you change the options — every pay date for the year appears below. Download as CSV for Excel, or print the page.
What is a payroll calendar?
A payroll calendar lists every pay date for the coming year. UK businesses use it to plan cash flow, schedule payroll runs, and tell employees exactly when they’ll be paid. It also helps the person running payroll know when to submit RTI to HMRC and when to release payslips.
A good payroll calendar accounts for weekends and bank holidays. If pay day is Saturday 25 December, you don’t actually pay on the 25th — you bring it forward to Thursday 24 December so employees have wages before the Christmas weekend.
UK pay frequency options explained
- Weekly (52 pay periods)
- Most common in construction, hospitality, and transport. Employees are paid every 7 days, usually on a Friday.
- Fortnightly (26 pay periods)
- Every two weeks. Less common than weekly in the UK but used in some shift-based industries.
- 4-weekly (13 pay periods)
- Every 28 days. Gives 13 pay periods per year — not 12 — so cash flow planning needs care.
- Monthly (12 pay periods)
- By far the most common for office and salaried roles. Usually paid on a specific date (e.g. the 25th) or the last working day.
When pay dates fall on weekends or bank holidays
HMRC’s guidance is straightforward: if pay day falls on a non-working day, most employers pay on the last working day before. This avoids staff going into a weekend or bank holiday without wages.
A small number of employers pay after the bank holiday instead — usually because their bank’s processing window doesn’t allow earlier payment. Whichever rule you use, apply it consistently and tell your employees up front.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for Scottish bank holidays?
No — this generator uses England and Wales bank holidays only. Scotland has different days (2 January, St Andrew's Day) and Northern Ireland has its own list. If you operate in Scotland or Northern Ireland, choose 'Leave as is' and adjust manually.
Can I save my calendar?
Download as CSV (opens in Excel or Google Sheets), use Copy to paste into Word or email, or use your browser's Print to PDF option. Nothing is stored on our servers — the tool runs entirely in your browser.
Does Ghugi run payroll?
No. Ghugi is for the step after payroll — emailing payslip PDFs to your employees automatically. Use BrightPay, Xero, Sage, or your accountant for the actual PAYE/NI calculations, then drop the PDFs into Ghugi.
How are the bank holiday dates calculated?
Dates for 2026 to 2028 are taken directly from gov.uk's published list. Dates for 2029 onwards are calculated using the standard UK rules: the Computus algorithm for Easter, first/last Monday of the month for May and August holidays, and Monday/Tuesday substitutes when fixed dates fall on a weekend. One-off bank holidays declared by the government (royal funerals, jubilees, coronations) are not included.
Is this tool really free?
Yes. No sign-up, no email capture, no ads. We work with UK payroll every day and built this as a free resource. If it's useful, give Ghugi a try — that's the whole business model.