Bank holiday working is up to your employer and you don't have to be paid more if you do

With Easter approaching and an additional bank holiday this year for the King's Coronation, people are asking us what the situation is regarding having to work on bank holidays, writes Esther McWatters of East Herts Citizens Advice.

When it comes to bank holidays, whether or not staff have to work is up to their employer and you don't have to be paid more if you do.

The situation will vary from job to job and may depend on a number of factors, such as whether your place of work is open on bank holidays, your hours of work and, crucially, what your contract says.

If your place of work is normally open on a bank holiday you'll probably be asked to work at least some. But if your contract says you get bank holidays off you shouldn't be asked to work.

Your contract might say something like: "In addition to bank and public holidays, your annual entitlement to holidays is X days." This means you may be required to work a bank holiday, but you should get another day off instead.

Alternatively, it might say something like: "Your annual holiday entitlement (inclusive of bank and public holidays) is X days." This means you have to take bank holidays off as part of your annual leave entitlement. Bank holidays will either be deducted from your annual leave allowance (so you'll have to book all bank holidays as paid time off) or counted as additional holiday days.

A common misunderstanding around bank holidays is that employers have to pay you extra for working them. This is not the case. Unless your contract says you'll be paid extra you will just be paid your normal amount. If your contract says you are entitled to bank holidays but you're asked to work, you should be able to take a different day off in lieu.

Your employer has to follow what's set out in your contract. If they don't, you should raise this with them.

If you don't have a contract, the legal default position is that your employer can tell you when you can or can't take time off. If you'd like to request a bank holiday off, use the normal method for requesting time off.

If you find you need to resolve an issue with your employer, first ask for an informal chat where you can raise your concerns. If this doesn't get you anywhere, you may need to raise a formal grievance.

If you need advice on this, or anything else, call our Message Line on 01920 459944 any time (we aim to return calls within 24 hours, except weekends) or visit www.citizensadviceeastherts.org.uk for our advice options.

You can also visit our Citizens Advice Contact Centre at Bishop's Stortford Methodist Church, 34b South Street, on Tuesdays, between midday and 2pm, where our friendly staff can help you access our advice service.

* Esther McWatters is head of communications and fundraising at Citizens Advice East Herts