The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday 29 April 2011 will be marked by a public holiday across the UK. David Cameron has described the event as a "happy and momentous occasion".
It may not be such a happy occasion for the thousands of struggling small businesses questioning whether they can afford to give their employees the extra bank holiday.
The Middletons and the Royal Family will be paying for the wedding, the reception and the honeymoon. Costs for additional security, street cleaning and policing will be borne by the tax payer and the cost of the extra bank holiday by private business.
However, it is important to note that there is no statutory right to time off (paid or otherwise) on any public holiday. Whether a worker can be required to work on a public holiday depends on what it says in their contract of employment. Otherwise, it’s at the employer’s discretion.
A full-time employee with the minimum statutory holiday entitlement of 28 days, who wants to take paid leave 29 April, will need to have sufficient leave remaining within their 28 day entitlement. They will need to book this day off in the normal way, in accordance with their employer’s rules.
Where an employee’s contract gives 28 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, and does not limit this to the normal 8 bank holidays per year (9 in Scotland), the employer will have to allow the employee to take the extra bank holiday off (or time off in lieu, depending on the terms of the contract.)
The TUC says that forcing employees to work on the royal wedding bank holiday will generate huge resentment directed at employers. It may also result in an increase in sickness absence on that day.
Employers with discretion should weigh up whether the benefits of good staff morale outweigh the cost of giving the day off or closing altogether and given the excessive cost to the UK economy of work-related stress, it may make economic sense to give people working excessive hours an extra day off anyway.
