As the Easter holiday season rolls in, it’s essential that activities business employers know exactly how to handle the new normal.
For the activities sector, Covid-19 has closed many businesses as restrictions for schools and their parents have kept children at home rather than active.
What should employers be aware of now, for the upcoming bank holidays?
If you’ve furloughed staff, make sure you double-check whether bank holidays are included in their holiday entitlements. If they have to work on bank holidays, then you can either pay them in full for the bank holiday that falls during the furlough or substitute it with a day’s annual leave on a later date.
Remember there is no statutory right to allow employees to take bank holidays off or pay extra pay structures such as time and a half. This should always be based on the terms of their contract.
Your staff are required to work on bank holidays (if included on their contract) and can’t refuse work but it’s best you stay on the safe side when it comes to religious holidays.
Following the 2009 changes, your staff could be entitled to statutory leave where the wording means they have 5.6 weeks or the equivalent of 28 days with bank holidays on top. This might mean a mismatch of contracted bank holidays.
This year, the timing of the Easter weekend coming up means your staff might get as many 10 bank holidays but as little as 7 in future years.
Your next bank holiday is on the 2nd of April.
For more information on how to plan bank holidays for your business see here.
