Celebrating the Bank Holiday for King's Coronation Day in the UK for businesses
As we approach the upcoming bank holiday in the United Kingdom to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III, it's a great opportunity to reflect on the significance of this occasion and how it impacts our employees.
Bank holidays are an integral part of the UK's culture, and they are important for several reasons. It gives our employees the chance to take a break from work, spend time with family and friends, and participate in various community events. In addition, they allow us to recharge our batteries and come back to work refreshed and energized.
The coronation of King Charles III is taking place on 6 May 2023 and the extra Bank holiday will take place on Monday 8th of May. There are a number of HR implications organisations should consider in the run-up to ensure your HR function is fully prepared.
Opening or closing your business
1.Do you have to close your business on the day of the King's coronation?
It is not likely that any businesses will be required to close on the day. Those businesses which normally open on a Saturday will have to consider any changes to their normal arrangements in terms of staffing. Some businesses may decide to close, perhaps because they predict they will have no custom, or because they would like to give their employees the day off to watch the ceremony, but that will be at the discretion of employers.
Pay on the day
2. Should employees be paid extra for working on coronation day?
This will depend on the contract of employment so you should always check there to make sure the employee is paid correctly. Employees working on that Saturday who do not usually work on a Saturday may be entitled to more pay so that is worth checking. It is not likely that any contract will provide for extra pay for an employee who normally works on Saturdays in these circumstances.
Annual leave on coronation day
3. Do you need to give staff the day off?
Essentially, no. It’s not a bank holiday so it will be a normal working day for all those who would normally work on a Saturday, or who are rota'd on for working. You should apply your normal decision-making process on whether or not to allow annual leave to be requested on the day, or if you will have to decline it.
For some businesses, they may see a spike in their trade on the day, or weekend, of the coronation, especially those in the hospitality industry. This may mean as many staff members as possible are needed in work.
4. Can you stop staff from taking annual leave?
Yes, the usual rules will apply to annual leave around the coronation. Employers can designate days on which no annual leave can be taken by giving the minimum amount of notice on this. The amount of notice required is the same as the number of days in question e.g. if no leave would be allowed on one day, one day's notice is required. In practice, the more notice, the better. Employees will therefore know that if they ask for annual leave on that day, it will be declined.
5. Do you have to let employees cancel annual leave if their plans have changed because of the King's coronation?
If your open on the day of the King's coronation, you may get employees asking to cancel their pre-booked leave so that they can work instead because their plans have changed. You do not have to agree to the cancellation request, in which case the employee will still take the leave as they had originally planned.
It's advisable to agree wherever possible but if there are business reasons which would mean that the cancellation would cause disruption e.g. if you have already organised cover for the employee and it can't be changed, then you should inform the employee that you are unable to accept the cancellation request.
Article sourced - CIPD - HR inform
https://www.hr-inform.co.uk/news-article/your-essential-hr-guide-to-the-kings-coronation?mkt_tok=NDYzLVlCQy01MjUAAAGLPHJQcFUaMFYRy5R6pmMPDblo6p_NgyR3MweeL0RAREgaZoMxpE0X_Amgmqc2exbu33baHXVXhDUjcKoIXsgSSTEFatIdsiF4W4_T3SpryIhOJA