The TUC has called for at least three more bank holidays a year. Britain’s workers get the lowest number of bank holidays and the least statutory annual leave in Europe.
The UK enjoys only eight bank holidays a year compared to 12 in Italy, 13 in Austria and up to 14 in Spain and Portugal. Britain and the Netherlands have the least public holidays amongst EU countries, although Dutch workers at least have the right to be paid for their public holidays.
The UK is bottom of the European league on annual holidays too – combining statutory public holidays (those where workers have the right by law to time off) and statutory annual leave puts the UK 13 days behind the EU average. We also have no statutory rights to bank holidays, having to rely instead on the generosity of their employers. Whilst this is the case with some of the European bank holidays, the majority are statutory days which employees are entitled, by law, to take. Most EU countries have a minimum standard of compensation for working on public holidays, usually a choice of a premium rate or time off in lieu. But UK employees don’t have this.
The TUC points out that when it comes to holiday entitlement, British workers are better off in a union. The average trade union member gets 29 days a year compared to 23 days for non-union members.
TUC General Secretary John Monks said: ‘UK workers have the shortest holidays and the lowest productivity in Northern Europe. So offering more holidays makes sense for employers too because well-rested workers are more productive. British workers need proper time off work as much as their European colleagues but once again they are at the bottom of the EU pile.’
One Response
How on earth do you manage short term contractors holiday paymen
I work in the media industry where we have a large number of short term fixed term contrators – anything from 1 day to 3 months being the norm. With the abolition of the 13 week rule last year, we are finding it an administrative nightmare to manage individual holiday payments (generally made at the end of short term contracts as people don’t usually take holiday on these short term deals – their choice – not ours!). We thought we might have cracked it by thinking about paying a holiday “allowance” every week – not in lieu of holiday, but an allowance. However, just as we were thinking of implementing this, I read that the EAT in Scotland has ruled that doing so would constitute a breach of the regulations. We surely can’t be the only employer having a real problem with this – I would imagine that lots of sme’s with a high number of short term fixed termers are facing similar difficulties. This is the reason for this note – I’d really like to speak with HR people in a similar situation – maybe you’ve found the solution – if so – please share it with me!
I would add that I don’t have a problem with the holiday from day 1 issue, just the method of paying it!
Many thanks.