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:
3rd January: New Year’s Day
15th April: Good Friday
18th April: Easter Monday
2nd May: Early May Bank Holiday
2nd June: Spring Bank Holiday
3rd June: Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday
29th August: Summer Bank Holiday
26th December: Boxing Day
27th 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: 1st August and 29th August. There is also St. Andrew’s Day which falls on 30th November.
In Wales, all the bank holidays are the same as England.
In Northern Ireland, St Patrick’s Day falls on 17th March, and the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne on 12th July.
All of these countries observe 3rd 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?
