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Extra bank holiday for a term time worker (who doesn't work Mondays!)

Hi all,

Just wondering how everyone is dealing with the additional bank holiday? We are all off, and staff working all year round and term time only (or term time plus) are paid for it.

We have had a query from a couple of staff members who work part time term time only and not on Mondays. They have asked if they will be entitled to an alternative day off as their colleagues who work on Mondays will get the day off.

I have said that the school are paying them for it, although they don't work that day but their query is around the actual day off, rather than the pay. Apparently they are concerned about it now as in May we will have three bank holidays rather than the usual two (although the late one falls in our half term) and therefore, they will work proportionately more in May than other colleagues who work on Mondays.

Anyone any thoughts? I wondered about suggesting a local agreement in their department, but this means that we will be short staffed on the days when they would ordinarily be there (although admittedly it will only be a couple of days).

Thanks in advance.

Matilda

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  • Hi Matilda, part-timers should not be treated less favourably and are entitled to benefit from the additional bank holiday. You could, as you suggest, allow them to take an agreed day off in lieu or you could pay them a pro-rata entitlement so they are compensated.
  • In reply to Amanda:

    Hi Amanda,
    Thanks for your reply. They will be paid for it - as will all staff, but they are concerned that they won't benefit from the day off as they don't work on a Monday. I wondered if anyone else had had a similar issue and how they had resolved it for staff who work part time but don't work Mondays v staff who work part time including Mondays.
    Many thanks,
    Matilda
  • Surely if you are paying them for the day even though they don't usually work (or get paid for it) it then they are getting a paid day off?
  • Part time staff are entitled to a paid leave allowance of 1/5 of their weekly hours for each bank holiday as it occurs, if the employer's position is that full time staff get 1/5th of their weekly hours off as paid leave, IE, 1 day, for each bank holiday as it occurs.