What you need to know about the extra bank holiday ...

An additional bank holiday has been announced for 19^th September 2022 to mark the State Funeral of the Queen. As employers and employees the question everyone is asking is does this give workers an extra days paid holiday.

The Working Time Regulations 1998 give workers a right to a minimum of 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday each year. This entitlement, equating to 28 days for a full-time employee, includes all bank holidays. You will need to review your employment contacts to confirm how this is worded. If your employees’ contract states 28 days’ holiday per year including bank holidays then this additional bank holiday does not give them an entitlement to an extra day’s holiday. However, if it is worded as 20 days plus bank holidays (there are normally eight bank holidays in England and Wales), then this does give your employees the right to Monday 19^th September off as paid annual leave.

For part time workers holiday is calculated on a pro rata basis and therefore their entitlement to holiday would be calculated on 29 days rather than 28 days assuming the wording follows suit and refers to ‘plus bank holidays.