Should Bank Holidays be scrapped?

[Catlover1705]

Talking about an extra one if England win got me thinking about whether they should be scrapped. They cost the economy a lot of money and many sectors such as retail don't get them off. I would prefer additional leave so I can choose my days off. I normally stay home bank hols as the traffic is awful.

St Andrew's Day here but Halloween has my full support.

Malaysia has 19 or 20!

I agree- they’re a pain. Everywhere is busy so there’s no point in trying to do anything. I only get 12 days vacation (I’m in the US), if we could choose whether to be off on the public holiday or keep it for another time it would make such a difference.

I had a job once where they only had the bank holidays on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. We had an additional 8 days added to our holiday entitlement, so if you wanted the bank holiday off, you could, or save it for another time. It was great! We also had true flexitime, which allowed us to build up extra time and take a day off per month without using holiday. People tended to stay with the company a long time, funnily enough.

Most people at DH's work voted to scrap the May and August Bank Holidays and add them to AL allowance and are now bitching because too many people want the traditional bh as leave because family and friends are off and are being refused....

You've reminded me that we don't actually get those either (but we both work at a university so great closures at Easter and Christmas). I've had to schedule an important meeting on the August bank holiday this year, I'm going to be popular!

In my current job I don’t get BH off (only the ones at Xmas and new year) and instead get extra annual leave - at first I was a bit shocked by the contract but now I much prefer it.
The BH days are always super quiet at work as clients are all off and I get extra holidays so it seems win win.

No, bank holidays are great and it's a nice feeling when a long weekend is coming up for the whole team.

No they shouldn’t. I’m retired so have no skin in this game (sorry I know that is a Mumsnet hated phrase) - every day is a bank holiday now! - but when I was working I really appreciated them. They were time off I didn’t have to ask for and knew I wouldn’t be coming back to a full to bursting inbox as everyone else was off too.

They're not a very fair way to run things.

Selfishly though, as someone who benefits, I do really enjoy them.

No, I love a bank holiday

No. I don't technically benefit from most of them since I don't work school holidays anyway, but I like the longer weekend with others who are off work. You don't have to travel or go out to enjoy a day off, or you can choose less obviously popular places to go.

How joyless. “Economic costs” aren’t the only important thing in life OP.

DH at a university too!

Couldn't do my job in 4 days, not all office jobs can be done in 4 days.

Given that I’ve never benefitted from them because my work has always included bank holidays, I’ll say yes. Archaic anyway, given the original purpose.

Are you serious OP? no.

I tell you what would affect the nation's economic status more if bank holidays were cancelled - poor mental health. These breaks are essential for workers to reset and have a break.

Absolutely not! I love them and I have worked in areas where you would sometimes have to work them (although did get paid a higher rate on those days).

In my current job I work with people in Malaysia and noticed they had a lot of bank holidays. Googled and found out the have more than 50 this year (although some fall at weekends)!!

This is the question I came to the thread for

Most bank holidays come out of people's annual leave allowance anyway .

🙄 we already get one of the lowest number of bank holidays. I have to work them anyway so no skin in the game but God some people are miseries!

<goes to apply for job in Malaysia>

It might be nice to have just one bank holiday in the middle of the week. Bank Holiday Wednesday. Maybe in November or January

I had to go into my local bank recently for the first time in 10 years. It's like a bloody holiday camp in there already. If people want more bank holidays - get a job in a bank.

Are you fuckin mental?