Should I be paid extra on Monday 19th September

[warrior101]

Quick one:
Government have declared Sept 19th a bank holiday.
My NHS trust are insisting everyone has to work as normal even admin and clerical staff.
I agree it's important to keep services running but should we be paid extra since its a bank holiday?

Should be if you are paid under agenda for change, at least that's my understanding.

What does it say in your work contract?

Do you normally get extra pay on bank Holidays?

Well normally we don't run non-emergency services on bank holidays. Only those rostered to work to keep emergency services running work on Bank holidays. But my trust are insisting that all services even elective should be kept running.

Normally most people wouldn't be working, i.e. on Christmas Day, Easter etc
elective surgery, outpatients etc are closed.
But for this Monday 19th, my trust are saying that we should all work as normal.

I'd be interested to know the answer OP. I'm glad that services are operating normally but I imagine some staff will have to pay extra for childcare.

Bank holidays have no meaning in law - they are just days. So unless your contract specifies that you must be paid more or given leave / time off in lieu, then the employer doesn't have to. What does your contract say (although I suspect the Trust know the answer already, which is why they have told you that you must work).

No - you should not be paid more. Fuck, you can’t seriously imagine you should make a profit out of someone’s death and other people’s grief just for carrying out your employment.

If the issue is that you want to watch the funeral then negotiate for that. But don’t be grabby.

Just had a note from NHS employers that they recommend to honour contractual terms and enhancements if required to work

I'm pretty sure you don't have to be paid extra, unless this is specified in your contact.

Companies don't have to observe the BH it's not law. So if you don't usually work on a BH I'd guess you won't be is if extra.

It's really good that hospital trusts are trying to keep things moving but if hope they'd still be respectful and allow staff to watch/listen whilst working

@PersonaNonGarter l think that’s your opinion rather than fact. Bet you have a nice cosy 9-5 office job and have never done a night or weekend in your life

My understanding under AFC for the NHS is OP you should be paid standard time + 60%. Or whatever your band gets -l am a 6 so it would be 60% but l know it’s different for different bands

You can't expect to close schools,. nursery and childminders and expect the NHS to continue the same, people will not be able to work that day.

From what I can gather if you work on agenda for change then you will be paid enhanced rates for bank holiday.

Depends what your contract says. Mine is x amount of holiday days plus bank holidays - I’m on annual leave prior to maternity leave so technically should be given a day back…

It should be your Sunday rate of enhancement depending on your banding. Id question if not as it is a government declared bank holiday and should be paid as such like any other bank holiday shift.

No its just bad luck for you

Our trust are closing clinics and outpatients due to likely DNAs and also staffing struggles due to schools closing etc. Bank holiday enhancements are being paid for those who still will be working plus they will be given an additional days leave. They have said those who are at work will be supported to watch the funeral on their computer screens if they wish and duties allow.

They have also said that the chaplain is available for us to talk to if we are struggling with the news plus our multifaith rooms are available for us to use for quiet reflection. They are also providing books of condolence.

To be honest this is what I was expecting from our trust. They are extremely supportive of employees.

Of course anyone in the NHS working should have their contractual bank holiday enhancement (+60% in my trust) - unless they don't pay anyone any differently on night shifts / weekends or bank holidays normally ??!

It’s causing havoc for the NHS. DH is a dr and got an email basically saying ‘Please come in but if you can’t for childcare reasons please tell us RIGHT NOW’

He will still be going as had theatre lists all day but thinks lots will end up getting cancelled as the majority of his colleagues have kids. He thinks enough doctors/nurses will probably turn out but actually it’ll be the support staff (like hca’s/porter/cleaners…etc) who are essential to making the hospital run but aren’t paid enough to make forking out for last minute childcare viable who will call out on mass and they still won’t be able to run all the theatres.

Monday is definitely a bad day to have any long awaiting operations booked on.

@extrayoungling from the flavour of some people of this thread, then people shouldn’t be paid extra for nights, weekends, bank holidays etc. The NHS can barely cover shifts even when offering enhancements so no chance if they don’t

Our trust is paying BH enhancements as any other BH. Im in corporate admin so we just will get the day off.

Interesting question.

It's all well and good declaring a bank holiday, but what about essential services??

Getting payment or getting the day off for this bank holiday all depends on what it states in your contract.
If your contract states x amount of days plus 8 bank holidays, then no technically they don't have to pay it.
If it doesn't state how many bank holidays then it can be argued that is has to be paid.

However saying that our company pays extra if your shift falls on a bank holiday, so I assume this bank holiday won't be any different.

"Bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave "

This is from the governments website .