Bank Holiday Guide – Co-op Support Agreement

Here at the Co-op we want to make sure that everyone gets the benefit of bank holidays, whatever their working pattern. So, we’ve set out the arrangements for time off and pay for bank holidays depending on your working pattern and whether the bank holiday falls on your normal working day.

This guide is for colleagues on the Co-op Support Agreement and other colleagues who have bank holidays in addition to their holiday allowance. Many of our operational colleagues already have bank holidays included in their holiday allowance. There is separate guidance for colleagues on the Funeralcare Agreement.

All time off in lieu of a bank holiday should be taken within a month of the bank holiday it relates to, wherever possible. Managers should try to accommodate a colleague’s request to take the lieu time but will need to consider other scheduled leave. However, managers should ensure that the lieu time is taken and not accrued from one bank holiday to the next. Time off in lieu of a bank holiday can’t be carried over into the following annual leave year and we can’t pay colleagues instead of them taking the lieu time.

1) Full-time hours, 5 days a week

If you work full-time, 5 days a week, Monday-Friday doing the same number of hours each day, then the arrangements for bank holidays are quite simple;

• Not working the bank holiday - If your workplace is closed on the bank holiday, then you get the day off and you get paid as if it was a normal working day. You don’t need to record anything in MyHR

• Working the bank holiday - If your workplace is open and you need to work then you’ll get paid for the day as normal. You’ll then either get paid any overtime rate for the hours that you work on this day, or you’ll get a day to take at another time. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu

2) Full-time hours, 5 days over 6/7 working

If you work full-time, 5 days over 6 or 7 days – either as a fixed working pattern or on a rota, your normal working pattern could include working at the weekend. So, a bank holiday may or may not fall on a day you’re due to be working

• Bank holiday not on a working day - If you work Tuesday - Saturday in a week that has a bank holiday and the bank holiday is on a Monday – so not your normal working day - then you’ll have the day off as usual. You’ll then get a day in lieu to take at another time. You should agree with your manager when to take the day in lieu

• Bank holiday on a working day - If you work Tuesday - Saturday and the bank holiday is on a Friday – so your normal working day - and your workplace is closed then you’ll get the day off and you’ll be paid as if it was a normal working day. You don’t need to record anything in MyHR

If your workplace is open and you need to work, then you’ll get paid for the day as normal. You’ll then either get paid any overtime rate for the hours that you work on this day, or you’ll get a day to take at another time. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu.

3) Full-time hours, fewer than 5 days a week

If you work full-time hours, but over fewer than 5 days a week – for example working 9.375 hours a day for 4 days - then the bank holiday may or may not fall on your normal working day.

• Bank holiday not on a working day - If you work Tuesday - Friday and the bank holiday is on a Monday – so not your normal working day - then you’ll get the day off as usual. You’ll then get 1/5th of your weekly contractual working hours to take at another time – so in this example you’d have 7.5 hours to take in lieu. This is so you benefit from a bank holiday in the same proportion as other colleagues who work full-time. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu

• Bank holiday on a working day - If you work Tuesday - Friday and the bank holiday is on a Friday – so your normal working day – and your workplace is closed you’ll get the day off and you’ll be paid as if it was a normal working day. You don’t need to record anything in MyHR

If your workplace is open and you need to work, then you’ll get paid for the day as normal. You’ll then either get paid any overtime rate for the hours that you work on this day, or you’ll get 1/5th of your weekly contractual working hours to take at another time – so in this example you’d have 7.5 hours to take in lieu. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu.

4) Part-time hours, 5 days a week

If you work part-time hours over 5 days – for example 5 hours a day Monday-Friday - then the bank holiday will fall on a working day.

• Not working the bank holiday - If your workplace is closed on the bank holiday, then you get the day off and you get paid as if it was a normal working day. You don’t need to record anything in MyHR

• Working the bank holiday - If your workplace is open and you need to work then you’ll get paid for the day as normal. You’ll then either get paid any overtime rate for the hours that you work on this day, or you’ll get 1/5th of your weekly contractual working hours to take at another time – in this example you’d have 5 hours to take in lieu. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu

5) Part-time hours, fewer than 5 days a week

If you work part-time hours, over fewer than 5 days, a bank holiday may or may not fall on a day you’re due to be working.

• Bank holiday not on a working day - If you work 7.5 hours a day Monday - Wednesday and the bank holiday is on a Friday – so not your normal working day - then you’ll then you’ll get the day off as usual. You’ll then get 1/5th of your weekly contractual working hours to take at another time – in this example you’d have 4.5 hours to take in lieu. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu

• Bank holiday on a working day - If you work Monday - Wednesday and the bank holiday is on a Monday – so your normal working day - and your workplace is closed then you’ll get the day off and you get paid as if it was a normal working day. In this situation you may receive more pay than colleagues whose workplaces are open, because your workplace is closed. You don’t need to record anything in MyHR

• If your workplace is open and you need to work, then you’ll get paid for the day as normal. You’ll then either get paid any overtime rate for the hours that you work on this day, or you’ll get 1/5th of your weekly contractual working hours to take at another time – in this example you’d have 4.5 hours to take in lieu. You should agree with your manager when to take the time in lieu. If you’re workplace is open, but you want to take the day as holiday, then you’ll need to book this in the usual way. You’ll get 1/5th of your weekly contractual hours for the bank holiday, so in this example you’ll need to take 3 hours of annual leave as well to take the whole day off

If you need further support

If you have questions about bank holidays, please speak to your manager or contact HR Services. If managers need advice they should contact HR Services.