Designated days are company-wide days off that appear on everyone's calendar. Use them for bank holidays, office closures, and mandatory leave periods.
What Are Designated Days?
Designated days are dates when:
- The office is closed
- No work is expected from employees
- The day doesn't count against individual annual leave balances
Common examples include bank holidays, Christmas shutdown periods, and company celebration days.
Accessing Designated Days
To manage designated days:
- Click Designated Days from the Admin section of the navigation menu
- You'll see a list of all designated days for the current year
- You can add, edit, or remove days from here
Adding a Designated Day
To add a new designated day:
- Go to Designated Days
- Click Add Designated Day or Add New
- Enter the date
- Add a name or description (e.g., "Christmas Day", "May Day Bank Holiday")
- Save the day
UK Bank Holidays
For UK-based organisations, typical designated days include:
- New Year's Day – 1 January (or substitute)
- Good Friday – Varies (March/April)
- Easter Monday – Varies (March/April)
- Early May Bank Holiday – First Monday in May
- Spring Bank Holiday – Last Monday in May
- Summer Bank Holiday – Last Monday in August
- Christmas Day – 25 December
- Boxing Day – 26 December
Tip
Bank holiday dates change each year, especially Easter. Remember to update your designated days annually or use a template that adjusts automatically.
Company Closure Periods
Many organisations close between Christmas and New Year. To add a closure period:
- Add each day of the closure as a separate designated day
- Or add a date range if your system supports it
- Name them clearly (e.g., "Christmas Shutdown", "Office Closed")
How Designated Days Affect Leave
When someone requests leave that includes a designated day:
- Automatic exclusion – The designated day is not counted against their leave balance
- Calendar display – The day still appears on the calendar but is marked differently
- Balance calculation – Only actual working days are deducted
Example
If someone books Monday to Friday and Wednesday is a designated day (bank holiday):
- They use 4 days of annual leave (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri)
- Wednesday is automatically excluded
- They're still off all week, but only 4 days come from their allowance
Designated Days and Smart Suggestions
Team Toggle's Smart Suggestions feature uses designated days to calculate efficiency:
- Suggestions are optimised around bank holidays
- Taking leave adjacent to designated days maximises time off
- The more designated days you add, the better the suggestions
Make sure all your bank holidays are entered so team members get the most accurate recommendations.
Editing Designated Days
To modify an existing designated day:
- Go to Designated Days
- Find and click on the day
- Update the date or description
- Save your changes
Removing Designated Days
To remove a designated day:
- Go to Designated Days
- Find the day you want to remove
- Click delete or remove
- Confirm the deletion
Caution
Removing a designated day may affect existing leave requests. If someone's approved leave included that day, their balance won't automatically adjust. Review any affected requests.
Different Days for Different Groups
Some organisations need different designated days for different teams:
- International teams – Different countries have different bank holidays
- Shift workers – Some staff may work on bank holidays
- Religious observances – Some employees may have different holiday requirements
If you need this flexibility, speak to support about how to configure multiple designated day calendars.
Planning Ahead
For the best experience:
- Add next year's dates early – Ideally by October or November
- Check for substitute days – When bank holidays fall on weekends, the substitute day may be different
- Communicate changes – Let staff know about any unusual closure dates
Need Help With Setup?
If you need help configuring designated days for your organisation, especially for international or complex setups, our support team can assist. Contact us for help.