Bank holiday for the Queen’s funeral
There have been many millions of words already written about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and I can’t hope to add anything meaningful to them – it is a seismic moment in our nation’s history, and I’m sure she will be missed greatly.
Practically speaking, the Queen’s death has resulted in a number of questions from a business perspective, I just thought it’d be helpful to give you as much information as I can.
When is the funeral?
The funeral will be held on Monday 19th September.
Will it be a bank holiday?
Yes!
The government has said that some business owners and event organisers may wish to consider closing or postponing events, especially on the day of the funeral, depending on the nature and tone, but there is no obligation to do so.
Do I have to pay my staff for that day?
If you do decide to close on the day of the funeral, then you would be required to pay your staff as normal for that day – just the same as if you close your business due to severe weather. This also applies to zero hours staff who have been rota’d to work on that day.
If they are available for work, and you decide to not let them, you have to pay them.
If you do not close and they wish to have the day off, they need to use part of their holiday entitlement and request it as normal. Given the circumstances, it would be worth considering allowing a more flexible holiday request process than normal.
There is also talk of a bank holiday for Charles’ coronation, although there is no date for that at all, and it may well even be next year.
Hope this helps – if I can be of any assistance, please let me know.
