Fri, 24 Dec 2010

Royal Wedding holiday entitlement not mandatory

Employers are being advised to clarify their annual leave policies before staff assume they can take off this year’s royal wedding bank holiday.

Last November, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that 29 April 2011 would be an additional public holiday, so the nation could celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. But according to European Working Time Regulations, extra holidays are awarded at employers’ discretion. Legally, full-time workers have paid annual leave entitlement of 26 days plus eight bank and public holidays, but extra days depend on the wording of individual contracts. Only employees whose contracts state they are entitled to leave on all bank and public holidays can automatically stay at home.

‘This is a matter for the individual employer,’ confirmed Anthony Cooper, employment partner at Blake Lapthorn solicitors. ‘A lot of employers will just honour it, but a bank holiday is not something the state can impose.’