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Original poster

Bank Holidays & Part Time (Again...)

48 replies

HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:18

Just trying to work out if there is anyway to resolve this issue within my team. I'm not the manager but it is causing a lot of problems for the team as a whole. I don't think I'm missing any obvious solutions but you never know!

Andrea and Sarah work as a job share. Andrea returned from maternity and wanted 18.75 hours, she didn't mind which days but wanted half time. An advert was placed, interviews etc. and Sarah was successful. She chose to work Monday (7.5 hours), Wednesday (3.75 hours) and Friday (7.5 hours). This meant Andrea would work Tuesday (7.5 hours), Wednesday (3.75 hours) and Friday (7.5 hours). Andrea was happy, Sarah was happy. Everyone is a winner!

Sarah currently has 128 hours. FTE would be the equivalent of 34 days (the extra bank holiday for next year is included). Andrea has 147 hours. FTE would be 39 days, she has been with the organisation longer so has 5 long service days (pro rata).

Herein lies the issue..

Sarah has to take 8 of the bank holidays from annual leave leaving 60 free hours (8 full days)

Andrea has to take 1 bank holiday from allowance leaving 139.5 hours (just over 18.5 days, we round up so 19 full days to book)

Sarah isn't happy, the team are not happy as there is constant moaning about it.

Sarah can only swap her days on a bank holiday week if Andrea agrees to swap, which obviously she isn't going to do. Both of them won't be needed on the same day.

Is there absolutely any way around this?

I totally understand why Sarah is annoyed but the atmosphere is becoming unbearable. We have a team meeting soon and I'm trying to think of ways to get out of it!

OP posts:
Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:19

Correction- Andrea works Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Trying to get it all down too quickly.

OP posts:
Coffeellama · 05/01/2023 21:20

What does Sarah actually want? She picked Mondays to work… has she never come across bank holidays before? Did she not read her contract?

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:22

Coffeellama · 05/01/2023 21:20

What does Sarah actually want? She picked Mondays to work… has she never come across bank holidays before? Did she not read her contract?

She doesn't want to have to take so many hours out of her leave allowance for bank holidays. I don't think she realised the implications when she signed on tbh.

OP posts:
Coffeellama · 05/01/2023 21:23

Well that’s just tough luck for Sarah really! The manager should tell her to stop creating an atmosphere with the team and get on with her job.

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:24

Coffeellama · 05/01/2023 21:23

Well that’s just tough luck for Sarah really! The manager should tell her to stop creating an atmosphere with the team and get on with her job.

That's what I thought. I was hoping I'd missed a glaringly obvious solution!

At least 2024 will be a bit better....

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POTC · 05/01/2023 21:28

No, there is no way around it. It's why I've always said when working part time don't choose Monday or Friday!

prescribingmum · 05/01/2023 21:28

Sarah is behaving like a spoilt child. She had her choice of days and chose to work on a Monday. The outcome is always less annual leave because of BH. She should have looked into this further and only has herself to blame.

She needs to grow up and accept it

HewasH20 · 05/01/2023 21:30

Does she do the sort of job where she can work on the bank holiday?

YourUserNameMustBeAtLeast3Characters · 05/01/2023 21:30

Sarah needs to look at the positives. On a bank holiday week she can have a agile week off with only 1.5 days extra annual leave. A compromise could be that he gets first dibs on annual leave in weeks with bank holidays in.

But she should not be moaning to everyone else.

YourUserNameMustBeAtLeast3Characters · 05/01/2023 21:31

A whole week, not an agile week

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:32

HewasH20 · 05/01/2023 21:30

Does she do the sort of job where she can work on the bank holiday?

Not really, there might be the odd bank holiday now and then. We close on bank holidays, in 12 years I have worked three of them because it has been manic.

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fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:32

YourUserNameMustBeAtLeast3Characters · 05/01/2023 21:30

Sarah needs to look at the positives. On a bank holiday week she can have a agile week off with only 1.5 days extra annual leave. A compromise could be that he gets first dibs on annual leave in weeks with bank holidays in.

But she should not be moaning to everyone else.

Yes that's a good shout

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:33

YourUserNameMustBeAtLeast3Characters · 05/01/2023 21:30

Sarah needs to look at the positives. On a bank holiday week she can have a agile week off with only 1.5 days extra annual leave. A compromise could be that he gets first dibs on annual leave in weeks with bank holidays in.

But she should not be moaning to everyone else.

This is what I'd be doing! I might actually suggest that about her having priority for bank holidays. It may not work but it is definitely worth a try.

OP posts:
fruitbrewhaha · 05/01/2023 21:33

I wonder if Sarah thought she’d get extra days off for bank hols. A lot of bank holidays fall on Monday or Friday.
I supposed you could find out if she wants more holiday she can use unpaid?

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:34

fruitbrewhaha · 05/01/2023 21:33

I wonder if Sarah thought she’d get extra days off for bank hols. A lot of bank holidays fall on Monday or Friday.
I supposed you could find out if she wants more holiday she can use unpaid?

I suspect this may be the case. I've seen it on here before, and seen real life examples.

OP posts:
fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:34

Do the full time workers not have to take the bank holiday from their allowance?

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:35

fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:34

Do the full time workers not have to take the bank holiday from their allowance?

Yes, we do. I get 39 days (38 usually). 9 of these are earmarked for bank holidays.

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hugoagogo · 05/01/2023 21:36

Tough titty

fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:37

HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:35

Yes, we do. I get 39 days (38 usually). 9 of these are earmarked for bank holidays.

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I get why proportionately it seems unfair but really it's about treating Andrea fairly and giving her the bank holidays.

fruitbrewhaha · 05/01/2023 21:38

fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:34

Do the full time workers not have to take the bank holiday from their allowance?

Yes. Minimum allowance is 28 days 8 of these for bank hols and 20/4weeks to take whenever. When people work part time this amount is pro rata.

KangarooKenny · 05/01/2023 21:38

Lots of people think that BH’s are free days off, they don’t realise that BH’s come out of your annual leave before you get it.

RandomMess · 05/01/2023 21:40

Could Sarah work additional days when Andrea is on leave and take them off as time in lieu?

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:44

RandomMess · 05/01/2023 21:40

Could Sarah work additional days when Andrea is on leave and take them off as time in lieu?

That's another idea. Thank you!

I honestly do feel bad for her. I get 30 days to pick for myself and it is never enough! To me, it is just the way it is. It is fair but feels unfair to her.

OP posts:
fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:45

HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:44

That's another idea. Thank you!

I honestly do feel bad for her. I get 30 days to pick for myself and it is never enough! To me, it is just the way it is. It is fair but feels unfair to her.

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Yes it does suck. She's lucky in a way that she had a choice of days. I just got stuck with mine and have no choice.

Original poster
HunterHearstHelmsley · 05/01/2023 21:45

fajitaaaa · 05/01/2023 21:37

I get why proportionately it seems unfair but really it's about treating Andrea fairly and giving her the bank holidays.

Show quote history

Totally agree. I'm pretty sure she thought she'd get all this extra holiday from lieu days, based on what she has said.

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