Part time workers and bank holidays. Fair or unfair?

[crunchiesnuts]

I know that it’s completely legal and up to the employer, but I’m just curious about what people think about this.

I’m part of a small team (there are 7 of us in total). Everyone works full time, 5 days a week, except for one person who is part time, working 3 days a week. This person works Monday-Wednesday. When there’s a bank holiday, they switch their days and work from Tuesday to Thursday instead. Like I said, I know this is all above board and our manager is fine with it, but the rest of the team feels it’s a bit unfair since they don’t have a say and have to use their annual leave regardless.

I’m kind of torn on it. I know this person asked to work Mondays when she took the job, so it feels a bit like having the best of both worlds, but I also get not wanting to burn through almost all your annual leave just for the bank holidays. Recently, this person has mentioned how she doesn’t complain about the fact that the rest of us get more holidays and better pay (which is a bit confusing since we work more hours, so naturally, we would), but it’s stirred up some tension in the office, and I guess, some people think she’s rubbing it in their face. I’m just interested in hearing what others think. Even though it’s legal, do you see it as fair or unfair?

She was there with us, and if anything started the conversation so I’m not sure how that would work really.

Jeeze

Yeah that’s it but we’ve already asked and they’ve said no unfortunately, it can only be offered to part time staff

Well, by the same token presumably you and your other colleagues knew before you started that working full time gives less space for day swapping than part time, but you don't appear to have let that stop you from whining.

I rather wonder whether this discussion was genuinely the first anyone raised the issue of PT/FT disparity, or if she's picked up on existing resentment and decided to make the point that full time workers have a better deal in some ways than she does.

that's bonkers. no

Presumably you get Bank Holidays added to your holiday allowance and then you book the day off on the Bank Holiday.

Can you all choose to work the Bank Holiday and save the holiday for another day?

I am struggling with problem here. If your workplace is flexible and allows the part timer to do this, has anyone aggrieved asked to work on a weekend or do extra hours in the week to also not use their holiday on the actual BH

Yes that’s true to be fair, but the part timer only started last year, and we didn't know until a couple of months ago that this benefit is only for part time staff.

Your poor colleague, knowing that all her colleagues are talking about her.

Whether she was there or not doesn’t matter. If you are all creating a hostile work environment by discussing her in a negative way you are the problem.

What difference does it make to the rest of you?
Blimey, the things people get worked up about🙄

Part time workers and Bank Holidays was an issue when I was a newly quarried Executive Officer in the Civil Service c1980.

Some things don't change.

I’ve said a few times already, but she was there with us and actually initiated the conversation. It’s an open plan office, it's not possible to talk about someone without them hearing you

basically the Full time workers get 28 days ( 8 BH and 20 free choice) this = 71% free choice

part timer on 60% hours gets 16.8 days ( if not done in hours but whole days this will be 17 as can't legally be round down)
this year 2026; 5 of the BH fall on days the PT works so on same system she would have 5 days BH and 12 free choice which would be 70% free choice) but as she transfers the Mondays to Thursdays she actually gets 17 free choice and no BH
everyone is getting their legal entitlement this is over having more or less free choice days as a % of annual leave

Sounds like the full-timers need to grow up.

Such a petty bitter mindset, creating a toxic work environment. It's hard enough to get part-time work that suits needs, without being driven out by a bunch of bitter bullies.

ETA and god forbid any of the full-timers end up self-employed in the future as in most cases they will lose out on the days pay too. But as grown ups we deal with it without resorting to being bitter and resentful. Perhaps your full-time colleagues could try that.

But regardless of whether part time staff are allowed to day swap for bank holidays or not, full time staff still knew before taking the job that 5 days are more than 3. It therefore can't be a surprise that they'd have less flexibility for day swapping than someone who works fewer hours, even if you were allowed whatever hours pattern you wanted.

Are you quite certain the issue of part time and full time staff being treated differently hadn't been raised by anyone at all until the conversation you mention? I don't mean did you personally, but this is clearly an office that likes bitching.

That's a really crap way of allocating annual leave. I would campaign to have at least some of the bank holidays removed from the leave allowance.

So, assuming everyone works an 8 hour day and gets 28 days inc of BH...

FT staff get 224 hours of AL
PT staff get 135 hours of AL

If the PT staff member took the BH off they would use proportionally more of their leave (8/135 opposed to 8/224) to cover it.

If you have to take annual leave for the bank holiday thats tough. But thats not this colleague's problem. She isnt doing anything wrong or unfair.

FT staff could always offer to work 4x10 hour days if they don't want to use their AL for the BH...

Which is pretty much what the PT has done - working the hours outside of their usual hours

I'm not sure what you want me to say. The part timer said she thought it was unfair that full timers had more holidays and pay, and the full timers replied that they think it's unfair part timers can switch their days and skip bank holidays. That was pretty much the gist of it. It was just a conversation. Are we not allowed to talk or reply to someone then?

Yes, that's the actual issue here. Unless there's variation in the jobs you're doing meaning that some roles are more suitable to solo working than others, everyone should get the same as far as possible. I appreciate that if you have, say, a dedicated receptionist this may be less doable than it is for someone who has loads of stuff that can be done at home without input from others.

Hi OP, I work in a 24/7 organisation and your feelings are experienced by many. It is perceived as unfair for the reasons you have described.
By the same token, there are people who don't work Mondays and therefore don't have to use their annualised leave for BHs that fall on a Monday.
In my experience of rota management, you can never please everyone and there will always be people who feel that others have a better deal.
You can't win!

They don't have to take AL for the Bank Holidays, the Bank Holidays are given to them as paid leave on top of their AL allowance, e.g. many workplaces in the UK will give 20 days AL + the 8 BHs.

They are not losing out on any pay.

Presumably she gets 3/5 of the bank holiday added to her annual leave days, and can take them whenever.

I worked one place where the PT got 3/5 of the 25 day standard holidays and got all the BH off. That was unfair as the rest of us worked the full week for the same

So it was obviously something they negotiated when employed, fair play to them