To not want another bank holiday?

[Pbbananabagel]

Ok hear me out, for people working in 9-5 jobs or industry’s that regularly have weekends off, bank holidays are a great thing. For everyone working in service industries though, it really isn’t. It’s yet another day we pay for childcare that can’t be used (but we have to pay as that’s in the contract), it’s another day of work while everyone else is having a wonderful time. It’s another day where we have to suck it up and deal with people being extra drunk/rude/obnoxious because… bank holiday. I’d really rather he sorted out the tax/universalcredit/benefits system/nhs/midwife crisis/underfunding of schools and social care or just about anything else rather than try to grab some popularity points to cover his rich tax avoiding backside.

My childminder did charge for them. But if we'd actually asked her to have ds she would have charged double. Which always struck me as somewhat having your cake and eating it. But she didn't charge for the August, Easter or Christmas ones, only the two in May.

As for wanting bank holidays in general, I prefer to take my holiday when I want to, not when the government tells me to. I'd prefer to do away with some of the bank holidays altogether and add days to annual leave entitlement. I don't like crowds and fail to see how bank holidays when most people are off at the same time are enjoyable. I am escaping the UK for the Jubilee ones so I don't have to get involved in 1940s style street parties.

Love Bank holidays. I do crib in work that we have to do 5 days work in 4 days and usually the same the week before as people take the Friday off too, but its great knowing you don't have to get up Monday morning, can do what you want and its only a four day week before the weekend again. Nearly everyone is off and most people are in good form. Yes some people treat it as a weekend to go on the beer, but others spend it with families doing things that they don't normally do, go away for the weekend or do DIY or a clear-out.
We will have a new one next year ( Ireland) beginning of Feb, i am looking forward to it as its the start of spring and will help the depressing month of January knowing we have a long weekend to look forward to
@ilovesooty here in Ireland we do have a bank holiday in October always around Halloween, i agree it actually great breaks the months before xmas, to me its the signal to the start of winter

But you could take a day off to spend with DH any time you liked. And you don't get paid double time in retail now.

But you don't need everyone taking their leisure time at the same time, it's actually better to spread it out.

I don't know any nurseries in our area that offer anything other than variations on standard hours - some are open 7.30 to 6.30 but close between Christmas and New Year and on bank holidays.

I work part time and only get 80% of bank holidays and 80% of my holiday allowance so actually have less holiday this year due to the extra BH as I have to use a full days of holiday to cover it. Yay.

I think my point has gotten a bit lost… I just find it so condescending that Sunak is talking about the possibility of making a permanent extra bank holiday to distract everyone from the outrageous behaviour of the cabinet as though that’s going to solve everything for the working class. It won’t, and I’m tired of people, who still won’t admit that the Tories have driven us into a horrific economic situation, saying things like “they’re not all bad though! Do you think labour would give us all a lovely extra day off?!”. This is what inspired my original post and I probably didn’t word it well as I’m a v tired mum of 2 with a baby that doesn’t sleep 😣

Not at all, I had to pay 12 months' equal instalments for nursery which "included" the "discount" for the week off between Christmas and New Year. If your child went on Mondays you paid for the Monday bank holidays. Ditto Good Friday if your child went on a Friday.

I’m self employed so I don’t personally give a shit about bank holidays, except that I work near a local beauty spot so the surrounding lanes will be full of plonkers doing 20mph, which I don’t love, tbh.

I thought Sunak et al had poo-pooed the idea of the bank holiday becoming permanent? Isn't it business leaders calling for it and the government sayng no?

I don’t get paid for BH’s and don’t have the option to work that day. So it’s now another week of only 4 days pay when all my bills have gone up and my wages are lower due to the NI increase. So yeah I agree with you. We’ve only just had 2. It will take me weeks to catch up on things now financially. Plus there’s another 2 coming up soon so that’s more short weeks. A weeks pay lost in total for random days off.

It's that Bank Holiday overload time of year again.
They all come at once, but this year there is obviously extra.
I'd prefer it if they were more spread out, but that's just the way it is.

I'm an agoraphobic, so tend to shut myself away on Bank Holidays.
The busy atmosphere just stresses me out.

Very Badly timed in the middle of exams - GCSE and A levels.

Yes, they really should have thought of that back in 1953 when they chose the beginning of June for the coronation.

I always think it is a cheap way for govt to get a positive headline but most of it is being paid for by private businesses. I know the govt is also an employer but I just imagine someone with a struggling business thinking how great it is with the govt giving their money away.

Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way.

I’ve never thought of it like this before- YANBU !

I always have BH anxiety- I feel like everyone else is having a banging time and I’m sat at home sad, lonely and poor.

You are legally entitled to pay for bank holidays unless you already get more than the statutory 5.6 weeks. Have you had any advice about the pay issue?

What I find really odd is that you clearly understand that certain industries have downsides (I hear you on the drunk people point and sympathise- that is a downside of the service industry that we can reduce/minimise more)
However you don't seem to understand that the same concept applies to pros as well as cons and that all jobs have them. For example you seem to think that "regular 9-5 workers" don't have any downsides to their job, which bank holidays help make up for. I am an office worker with traditional hours and can safely say (as I fill out timeshares as my time is billable), every single day I work longer than 9-5!!!! Plus, not to mention having to change plans, arrangements (childcare pick up) last minute due to unexpected things cropping up that have to be dealt with immediately causing me to work late. Its a downside to my job. Shift work doesn't typically have this but has other downsides such as BH as you have noted.
I don't get what's hard about that to understand that you feel you need to "raise awareness" or whatever. Most people are aware if things and choose jobs/career path path suit their life as much as they can

Just noticed this update....I think the issue is more the people you know. I have not heard a single thing of people saying stuff like that, nor is anyone I know 'distracted', and are all outraged at the government and cabinet.
Not sure this thread really makes any sense tbh

When I was a nurse I was often working on the actual bank holiday but was paid extra for it also we could still accrue the bank holidays and take them when ever we wanted ,it was nice sometimes to have a random bank holiday whenever I wanted.

@Sandinmyknickers Plus, not to mention having to change plans, arrangements (childcare pick up) last minute due to unexpected things cropping up that have to be dealt with immediately causing me to work late. Its a downside to my job. Shift work doesn't typically have this

What? That's absolutely not true, nurses and doctors can't just drop everything at 7.30pm cos it's shift change. Even on this thread a PP who did shift work said they worked till 'close' which was variable. I'd bet there are very few jobs where you can truly rely on a finish time.

YANBU OP, I work some PHs and get some off (but it comes out of my annual leave, although I get extra hours on my AL sheet to cover 8 BHs if that makes sense). My organisation haven't actually decided if we're having a PH on 3rd of June or not yet... It's in, what, 5 weeks? Pain in the arse for childcare etc. I quite often volunteer to work them cos I'd rather take the day off elsewhere.

Lolling at PP who's worried about GCSE and A-level students... PFB? If they want to focus, they'll focus.

It’s not clear, are you saying you have to pay for the day at nursery but the nursery closes anyway so you have to have the day off unpaid to look after your kids? Is this really how nursery works? (Genuinely don’t have a clue)

You should get bank Holidays added to your leave allowance to take when you want though? Unless you're zero hour contract.

i do feel for shop/hopsitality workers-if my dh is working he gets double time which i know is rare these days

if the coronation wasnt till 53 why are we celebrating this year

@Tilltheend99 yes, I have to pay for nursery based on them being open 52 weeks a year on a monthly basis. There is no discount for bank holidays therefore I have to pay the full amount regardless of whether they close for a day. Every bank holiday they close, therefore I lose £80.
This is standard with nurseries in my area and many others. People in this position therefore have to either pay for additional childcare or take the day off unpaid or as annual leave.
This wasn’t actually the main point of my post, but seems to have struck a chord with a few.

It’s lose, not loose