The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

By Laura Knowles

This year marks the commemoration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. No doubt for many this will be a cause for celebration and especially for those lucky enough to be able to enjoy the upcoming 4-day weekend!

This has come about because the late May bank holiday, which would have fallen on Monday 30 May 2022, will now take place on Thursday 2 June 2022 and there will be an additional bank holiday on Friday 3 June 2022. This adjustment will take effect in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

However, this may of course impact businesses and standard operations, in particular managing employee time off. It’s important to note that employees do not have an automatic right to time off on Bank Holidays however we encourage employers to check their employee contracts to determine the effect of this date change and the extra day on entitlements.

Contractual wording on Bank Holidays can differ a lot from contract to contract so it is important to determine the specific position to ensure that contractual entitlements are not breached. It's important to make sure businesses communicate to their employees where they stand with time off, and this may involve some negotiation to ensure there is sufficient cover if required to continue operationally.

If you’d like some help with reviewing contractual wording or how to navigate annual leave entitlements, please get in touch with us here at Second Chapter HR.

About Laura Knowles

Laura is currently HR Business Partner at Second Chapter where she advises clients on a range of HR matters including performance management, disciplinary and grievance, attendance management, flexible working, and employee engagement. With a HR career spanning more than a decade, she has worked for A4E, Cambion Electronics, BresMed Health Solutions and Kirklees Council. Laura lives in Sheffield with her husband, two daughters and their two cats.