Bank Holiday entitlement for PT Workers

Gibbs · 22 Mar 2017 at 11:46

Hi all,

usually am OK with these type of things but am feeling a bit miffed. I work in IT and have been doing 5 days per week full time. Standard stuff.

I have taken on a role with another company, working PT 2 days a week for them and 3 for the current company, in preparation to moving full time with the new company. Basically a 2 day per week trail in an IT Manager role for 6 months.

The current company has sent me the following:

We are aligning how part time holiday calculations are worked out across the UK. This letter is to explain how these changes affect you.

A full time employee in Northern Ireland is entitled to 35 days holidays, which is made up of 25 personal days and 10 fixed customary holidays. The list of customary holidays for 2017 is below:

 New Year’s Day - Monday 02 January (in lieu)
 St. Patrick’s Day – Friday 17 March
 Good Friday – Friday 14 April
 Easter Monday – Monday 17 April
 May Day – Monday 01 May
 Spring Bank Holiday – Monday 29 May
 Orangemen’s Day – Wednesday 12 July
 Summer Bank Holiday – Monday 28 August
 Christmas Day – Monday 25 December
 Boxing Day – Tuesday 26 December (in lieu)

As you work 22.5 hours over 3 days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), you are entitled to 21 days holidays. As a part time worker, you will be asked to keep days out of your 21 day entitlement for customary holidays that fall on your working day, these are known as fixed days. Each year these dates will change depending on the day the holiday falls.

There are 8 fixed customary holidays which fall on one of your working days. This means for 2017 your annual entitlement will be 13 flexible days which can be book as per the normal holiday procedure and 8 fixed days which are below:

 New Year’s Day - Monday 02 January (in lieu)
 Easter Monday – Monday 17 April
 May Day – Monday 01 May
 Spring Bank Holiday – Monday 29 May
 Orangemen’s Day – Wednesday 12 July
 Summer Bank Holiday – Monday 28 August
 Christmas Day – Monday 25 December
 Boxing Day – Tuesday 26 December (in lieu)

Am feeling a bit miffed that I lose out of my usual Holiday entitlement compared to the full time staff, and with no reference to a change like this in either my FT contract or the new PT contract.

Anyone any thoughts or gone through the same thing?

tom_e · 22 Mar 2017 at 11:50

As the business can legally mandate when you can and cannot take your full holiday entitlement then I don't think there's much you can do to be honest.

Gibbs · 22 Mar 2017 at 11:59

Oh I understand the business can legally mandate when I get time off, but I feel this is a little over the top and with no prior communication on it other than this letter, weeks after I signed a new PT contract, where it should have been noted in it, its annoyed my wee soul

Pudney · 23 Mar 2017 at 14:14

That looks pretty standard for PT workers in my experience.

Martynt74 · 23 Mar 2017 at 19:43

I'd be a bit miffed aswell to be honest. In most companies i've worked part time workers who work on a Monday are on a winner as you get the bank holiday as a freebie and then your holiday entitlement for the other days you work.

It's why people used to always make sure Monday was one of their working PT days.

Not sure on the proper regulations though.

daver · 23 Mar 2017 at 20:22

Regulations are 28 days including bank holidays so to be honest it's already a pretty decent holiday entitlement at 35 pro rata.

Shop floor staff at my company have only 11 or 12, can't recall exactly that are not defined by the company in advance.

blueboy2001 · 23 Mar 2017 at 22:56

This method is actually the fairest way of doing it so nobody is at a disadvantage.

If you work 5 days, you get 35 days. 7 days leave for each day you work.

You work 3 days, so you get 7 x 3 = 21 days.

In this system it's arguably better if you don't work on a Monday as you get more flexibility when to take your time off.

AHarvey · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:48

I am confused about what the issue is and I've read it several times.

Is it that as a part time worker you're not getting the same number of holidays as the full time workers?

Semple · 24 Mar 2017 at 13:33

AHarvey said:
I am confused about what the issue is and I've read it several times.

Is it that as a part time worker you're not getting the same number of holidays as the full time workers?

Nor me. I think he's unhappy that quite a number of holidays are being taken up by the bank holiday entitlement.

I understand that working Mon-Weds means your working days are likely to fall on Bank Holidays, but if you flipped it round and worked Weds-Fri instead, it would also be irrelevant as you would lose those days from your other job.

Martynt74 · 24 Mar 2017 at 17:52

blueboy2001 said:
This method is actually the fairest way of doing it so nobody is at a disadvantage.

If you work 5 days, you get 35 days. 7 days leave for each day you work.

You work 3 days, so you get 7 x 3 = 21 days.

In this system it's arguably better if you don't work on a Monday as you get more flexibility when to take your time off.

Agreed, really you want to not work Mondays as then you still get 21 days holiday and take them whenever you want rather than only really getting 13 days

AHarvey · 24 Mar 2017 at 23:06

the thing is, he's still working full time just via 2 part time positions so holiday entitlement should still be pretty even when both are added together (depending on contracted hours for the 2 day a week job)