Are employees entitled to the extra bank holiday in May 2023?

The extra bank holiday to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III is right around the corner but have you considered if your employees are entitled to the extra day off?

Whether an employee is legally entitled to the extra bank holiday will depend on their contract of employment and usual working patterns. Therefore, employers must check their employees’ contracts and the drafting around public holidays.

Does the contract set out their annual entitlement, “20 days plus bank holidays”? If so, this would mean the employee is contractually entitled to the paid additional day for His Majesty’s coronation.

Does the contract specify the “8 bank holidays” or “28 days inclusive of bank holidays” or “20 days’ plus the usual bank holidays”? If so, this would leave the choice up to the employer, which could either mean, employees attend work on Monday, 08 May 2023, or they take the additional bank holiday either paid or unpaid.

What to do next? Employers should check existing contracts of employment, and consider how any decision to refuse leave may impact upon employee relations or create reputational risk.

What if there is no employment contract? What about part-time employees? What about employees on sick or family leave?

Find out more by contacting FGS for a no obligation discussion.