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Original poster

Which 3 days to work

53 replies

Katecairn · 10/12/2021 20:42

Hi.
Working part time currently Monday, Thursday Friday. Really like that 2nd weekend feeling when I finish work on a Monday with having Tuesday & Wednesday off. However, due to pro rata bank holiday rules I use up quite a bit of leave to cover the many Monday's that bank holidays fall on. Been given the option to switch to Tuesday, Thursday & Friday. Like the idea of a 3 day weekend and not using annual leave for the Monday bank holidays but will miss that Tuesday/Wednesday off. Has anyone else made the switch and any viewpoints. No other work pattern available at the moment. Thank you

OP posts:

BendingSpoons · 14/12/2021 07:29

I work Tue, Wed, Fri, so similar to your plan. I like it because I don't have that Sunday dread, I get a day 'off' in the week (looking after small children), I only ever have 1 day out of work at a time, so stay on top of communications better and I can book one day off and have a massive stretch.

Happy1982ish · 14/12/2021 07:47

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I dont consider it a drop in the ocean.

Someone on 0.5 gets (eg) 4 banks and 10 annual leaves.

If they have to use 4 of their 10 annual leaves to cover the other Banks, that leaves them 6 days of annual leave for the year. Seems shit tbh.

Why on earth would they have to use their holiday to take a bank holiday?

Happy1982ish · 14/12/2021 07:51

The law

* An important legislation to remember here is that part-time workers must be treated no less favourably than full-time employees.* This includes entitlement to bank holidays. So, however you decide to manage bank holidays, all part-time workers will be entitled to the pro-rata equivalent of full-time workers

End of discussion re part time and bank holiday surely

MrsLargeEmbodied · 14/12/2021 07:53

but you dont get given all the bank holidays which you dont need to take.

Happy1982ish · 14/12/2021 07:56

The law means that no part timer is worse off re bank holidays no matter what configuration of days they decide

I have worked Monday
I have not worked Mondays
I have not lost out
Not because my employer has been generous
Because they have complied with the law

RagzReturnsRebooted · 14/12/2021 08:01

My workplace was messing this up for a colleague who hadn't ever noticed, I pointed it out as I was getting BH off as I work Mondays and Fridays and they weren't as they work midweek. We get 6 weeks leave, but I was ending up with more days off as the BH were counted separately. It's been sorted now as we have a manager who actually understands employment law.

RagzReturnsRebooted · 14/12/2021 08:04

To answer the original question, I was doing Mon, Thurs, Fri and I likes that as I had a break midweek, just added a Tuesday but keeping my Wednesdays off so I can run errands and stuff.
Colleague works midweek as they like having long weekends, but they have grown up DCs so can use those days for fun stuff!

seome1984 · 14/12/2021 08:06

Do you have young dc? When my dc was in childcare I either tues, wed, Fri. It is amazing to have a Monday (don't get the dread feeling on a Monday night). It's nice to have a break in between the days to spend dc, catch up on jobs etc.

PieMistee · 14/12/2021 08:09

I've done every combo. Tues, weds, Thurs was best for me. Long weekend every week.

GroggyLegs · 14/12/2021 08:12

@Happy1982ish

The law means that no part timer is worse off re bank holidays no matter what configuration of days they decide

I have worked Monday
I have not worked Mondays
I have not lost out
Not because my employer has been generous
Because they have complied with the law

Completely agree, but I work Tue, Wed, Thu and it still feels like a sweet deal to have an additional 5 days to use whenever I like, compared to my colleagues who get the same amount of 'weeks off' with a handful of random Mondays.

DixonD · 19/12/2021 00:38

@OnGoldenPond

I see some posters have said they work Mondays, get all the Monday bank holidays off and have never had to adjust their leave entitlement. This is actually giving you an unfair advantage over full timers and actually isn't lawful. I would keep quiet about this if I were you and not tell any of the full timers as they might complain if they find out and you would probably lose these extra days!

It’s actually NOT unlawful.

Part timers are not allowed to be disadvantaged over full timers in ANY way. They have to be given the same benefits or if this is not possible, said benefits are removed entirely.

There is no law protecting full timers in the same way, so in theory part timers can be given more advantages.

I’ve done A LOT of research on this in recent months due to my own part time related work battle, due to not being given a bank holiday allowance (I don’t work Mondays or Fridays).

I won.

DixonD · 19/12/2021 00:40

@MrsLargeEmbodied

but you dont get given all the bank holidays which you dont need to take.

You do!

PurpleMauve · 19/12/2021 01:07

Three consecutive days worked best for me. I choose Mon off for a long weekend, for the weekly big shop and getting organised before going back to work. I had nursery aged DC at home with me on a Mon so couldn’t do much else (eg. hair cut/nails/gym, etc).
I liked working on a Fri so I could do occasionally attend after work drinks.

I’ve moved jobs since. Initially worked 4 half days and then 3 short days. Moved to a permanent contract and decided to increase my hours slightly and work school hours Mon - Fri as the role is too pressured to not work Mon - Fri.

Depending on the sector/nature of the job, not working Mon-Fri only works if someone else covers the role on your non-working days. Otherwise, it’s a mug’s game.

PurpleMauve · 19/12/2021 01:14

Also, my employers (public sector) calculated BH entitlement correctly, so it was fair for both FT & PT employees.
I’ve worked both FT & PT in the same role, so I was easily able to work out that the BH holiday entitlement was fair.

Eternallyfrazzled · 19/12/2021 17:12

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at OP's request.

OnGoldenPond · 20/12/2021 11:29

@DixonD yes I know that part timers must be given the pro rata allowance of bank holidays to give them equal treatment with full timers. The poster I am referring to was getting more than her pro rata allowance as her employer just gave her all bank holidays that fell on her working days and not amalgamating them into the rest of her annual leave as you are supposed to. I suspect this is because her employer just hasn't thought about it rather than they wanted her to have more holiday than full timers. They would be quite within their rights to just give her the pro rata allowance if they ever cotton on.

Well done on challenging this. I had a similar battle 20 years ago when the law changed due to an EU directive (as I'm sure you know). I worked Wednesday to Friday so hardly any bank holidays fell on my working days. Work didn't give me any pro rata days and said it was just " bad luck" that I missed out because of my working days. My job share partner on the other hand worked Monday to Wednesday and got all the bank holidays falling on her working days in full. I quoted the new laws at them and they still refused to change their policy as it would complicate holiday allowance calculation for shift workers. I said fine I'll take it to tribunal and they finally folded. Of course they bullied me out a few months later in retaliation

madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 11:33

I do Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Never get that sinking feeling on Sunday of going back to work on Monday. Starting on Tuesday makes you feel like you're starting mid week and your week's almost over. Just getting tired and you've got your Friday feeling on Thursday. Nice long weekend. Plus they owe you all your Bank Holidays Mondays that you can add onto your leave.

Meredusoleil · 20/12/2021 11:45

@madisonbridges

I work the same 3 days as you and never get the Bank Holiday Mondays back! Not sure how it works as a teacher. Should I be asking to be paid them or what?

OnGoldenPond · 20/12/2021 11:58

@Meredusoleil the simple answer is yes!

If you are part time your annual leave allowance should be calculated as a pro rata amount of days (or hours if you work shorter days) including bank holidays that is given to full timers. Then if a bank holiday falls on one of your working days you set that day against your holiday allowance.

This has been law for 20 years now but employers still try to avoid giving part timers the full leave allowance they are entitled to by claiming it is just "bad luck". But they know full well you are entitled to it!

You could actually claim back all those annual leave days you have missed out on in previous years because they broke the law.

madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 13:27

I'm a teacher. I have so many weeks leave plus BHs. Full time staff obviously take their BH on the actual day but as a 0.5, I'm entitled to half a bank holiday. I work in FE/HE so courses have finished but I still have to go in. So it's easy for me to extend my summer holidays with BHs. However, if you're in school, they might pay you in lieu because of the difficulties of giving you extra leave days off. But you should get compensation for them.

madisonbridges · 20/12/2021 13:27

^^ oops that was for @Meredusoleil. What a lovely name. 🙂

TroysMammy · 20/12/2021 13:42

@OnGoldenPond - thanks to your advice I have realised that I think I have the shitty end of the stick in work again. Both my colleague and I work part time and have been allocated 17 days pro rata annual leave which includes Bank Holidays. However she works Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning and I work Wednesday afternoon, Thursday and Friday. Difference in hours = she works 1 hour extra per month.

The business is closed on Bank Holidays but she gets the days which are mainly Mondays off and the 17 days pro rata annual leave. This means that this year she has had 23 days holiday and I have only had 17. Do you mean that she should be taking the 6 extra Bank Holiday days out of her 17 days holiday entitlement?

MrsLargeEmbodied · 20/12/2021 14:48

this means that this year she has had 23 days holiday and I have only had 17. Do you mean that she should be taking the 6 extra Bank Holiday days out of her 17 days holiday entitlement?

yes, so she gets 6 more annual leave days for her to use for the bank holidays - so once she has taken off the extra 6 bank holiday days, she is left with the same amount as you, although good friday is a bank holiday so you should get a bank holiday day.
it is over complicated tbh

OnGoldenPond · 20/12/2021 15:01

Yes she should be deducting the bank holidays falling on her normal working days from her annual leave allowance. At the moment she is getting a double bank holiday allowance.

OnGoldenPond · 20/12/2021 15:05

Yes your colleague should be deducting the bank holidays that fall on her normal working days from her annual leave allowance. At the moment she is getting a double bank holiday allowance. You should both be taking the same number of days off, whether they are bank holidays or booked annual leave.

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