Jubilee Bank Holiday - Are Employees Entitled to the Day Off?

Two bank holiday weekends have come and gone. The platinum jubilee is on the horizon. For employees across the country this is a welcome break, for employers it could present a royal headache.

What does the additional bank holiday mean for annual leave entitlement? How can you manage it?

Annual leave entitlement in 2022

When are the bank holidays?

The bank holidays for England in 2022 are as follows:

• 3^rd January: New Year’s Day
• 15^th April: Good Friday
• 18^th April: Easter Monday
• 2^nd May: Early May Bank Holiday
• 2^nd June: Spring Bank Holiday
• 3^rd June: Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday
• 29^th August: Summer Bank Holiday
• 26^th December: Boxing Day
• 27^th December: Christmas Day

To clarify, Christmas Day itself hasn’t moved, but as it is on Sunday this year, the bank holiday is pushed until after Boxing Day. 

In Scotland, there are two summer bank holidays: 1^st August and 29^th August. There is also St. Andrew’s Day which falls on 30^th November.

In Wales, all the bank holidays are the same as England.

In Northern Ireland, St Patrick’s Day falls on 17^th March, and the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne on 12^th July.

All of these countries observe 3^rd June as the Platinum Jubilee Holiday.

Am I entitled to give my staff leave?

Short answer: no.

There is no legal obligation for you to give staff an extra day off for the additional bank holiday. However, before you go away and announce to your workforce that they must work on the bank holiday, you should check your employment contracts. Why?

If their contract says they’re entitled to 20 days plus bank holiday, you should give them the additional bank holiday off work. Do this in line with your current policies.

If their contract says they’re entitled to 28 days inclusive of bank holidays, then it’s up to you whether to give them the extra day off work.

If the contract refers to “usual bank holidays” then the employee isn’t automatically entitled to it. However, you may consider giving it them off anyway as an additional benefit. “We would advise changing the wording of your contracts if your contracts are currently worded this way. You can contact a member of the Croner documentation team to discuss wording for your leave policies on 01455 858 132.

If the employee usually works on bank holidays, they shouldn’t expect the day off. However, if they receive a higher rate of pay when working on a public holiday they could expect this rate on the additional day.

Planning in advance

Before you put any kind of plan in place, you should take a look at your contracts and policies. What is your company position on annual leave entitlement? Is there a precedent for bank holidays? For example, what did your business do for the bank holiday for the royal wedding in 2011? Your approach doesn’t have to necessarily be the same this time around, but it’s worth checking. Finally, take into account employee morale. If you can afford to give them the day off, it may be worth doing it just for a productivity boost.

Whatever you decide, make sure you give employees sufficient notice. If you require employees to take the time off, you need to give them twice the amount of leave to be taken in notice. So, if you want to give staff the bank holiday off, you’ll need to give them 2 days’ notice.

Support with leave and absence

If you’re struggling to keep tabs on who is taking leave and when, we’ve got solutions for you. Croner will provide you with award-winning software solutions to book, track, and approve absences. Alongside this fantastic service, you’ll receive 24/7 HR support from our team of expert consultants.

Bring your staff leave and absence schedule in line by speaking to a Croner consultant today on 01455 858 132.