Bank Holidays.. help my tiny brain!

[JudgeMenthol]

I start a new job next month, working 16hrs, Thurs & Fri.
Most of my previous employment has been in positions where work continues at the weekends and Bank Holidays so bank Holidays are built in to the total leave allowance...
I can see that this year Xmas Day & Boxing Day fall on a Thurs & Fri, as does NY Day... does this mean I would need to save leave days to cover these, but the following year I would only need to save 2 days to cover Xmas Day & Boxing Day?

Err... what does your contract say about bank holidays?

Where I work yes, but you'd also get a pro rata amount to cover your non-working days. There are 8 bank hols per year so you'd get those 8 days, times your pro rata amount, per year. Most people who don't work on a Monday benefit!

The annual minimum entitlement is 28 days including the bank holidays, for someone working full time. If you get more then it will make a difference.

So, assuming:

• Your workplace is 28 days' leave
• Full time at your workplace is an 8 hour day times 5 days a week (40 hours)
• Your holiday year runs with the calendar year

Then you get 28 [days] x 8 [hours] x (2 [your working days] / 5 [full time working days) = 89.6 hours, just over 11 days. You need 3 of those this year - to cover Good Friday, Xmas & Boxing Day; the other 8 you can book at any time.

Next year, you have NYD; Good Friday; and Xmas day - Boxing Day bank hol will fall on the Monday so is your non working day anyway. So again, 3 days from your entitlement.

If any of those assumptions is wrong, the sums will be out - but same principle applies.

Working on the assumption you get the statutory minimum of 28 days/5.6 weeks those full time workers you're thinking of have to use it in a 20 + 8 BH format per year.

If you're working 2 days out of 5 you're entitled to 11.2 days (rounded to 11.5 as they aren't allowed to round down) per year. If your workplace says you have to use leave for bank holidays (such as most office jobs etc) you'll need to save enough days to cover those Thursday and Fridays. So in 2025 that's actually 3 days, I think you're forgetting Good Friday in April. Assuming your annual leave year covers the calendar year and not something like the tax year it's 3 days this year.

NY day will come from your 2026 allowance (if as I say your leave goes Jan to Dec).

@Acc0untant
@LordEmsworth
Thank you both :)
Haven't had my contract through yet, but I do know the leave year runs April to April, soi guess it depends when Easter falls as to which year the Good Friday will fall in, but Xmas Day, Boxing Day, and NYD will all fall in the same year.
They have my prebooked leave for this year which will be honoured, but I'm thinking some of that may end up being unpaid...