Royal wedding - are you giving the day off?

[chasingunicorns]

I suspect - in my rather cynical way - that if you don't give staff the day off, you will have quite a high number of them 'off sick' that day...

 

[garlex]

Hi

I run a business with about 70 staff. We obviously have the "royal wedding" on the 29th of April. Our staff contracts state we don't have to give it off, but not giving it could affect morale. By giving it we obviously lose manpower at a crucial time and it has a net cost of circa ~£7k.

Are any business owners giving it? Any not? Thoughts?

Business has to come first. There are more and more people out there that do not have a job so I can't think your staff will expect a day off. There will be a percentage that won't even be interested in watching it.
I would suggest if you really want to let them see it, install a tv in a meeting room and let those who want to watch it for a couple of hours do so.
That way, you will have supported them and not lose a whole days productivity.

 

[gordano]

I thought 29 April 2011 was a bank holiday in which case employees are entitled to the day off? In any case we will give our staff the day off, at the very least it is good for morale, in fact the cost to a business of not giving the day off (when it is expected as a bank holiday) could end up costing far more in the longer term.

 

[JDX_John]

Business has to come first. There are more and more people out there that do not have a job so I can't think your staff will expect a day off. There will be a percentage that won't even be interested in watching it.
I would suggest if you really want to let them see it, install a tv in a meeting room and let those who want to watch it for a couple of hours do so.
That way, you will have supported them and not lose a whole days productivity.

I assume he doesn't have to give other BHs off either but does... if you take your logic you would give all employees minimum 20 days holiday, no bank holidays, etc.

Everyone in UK will expect to get the day off unless told otherwise, IMO. This is a landmine waiting to get you unless you play it very well. Depends a lot on the way you interact with your staff and how much they care.

I'd be tempted to organise a long company lunch or give everyone the half-day - free pizza costs a tiny amount but employees are suckers for free stuff.

 

[garlex]

I guess if it really is a BH then I don't think there's much choice. I would comply for my staff.

 

[KateCB]

You don't have to give bank holidays off.....unless you work for a bank......!

But, the idea of a couple of hours, a buffet and a TV in a meeting room (beware the TV licencing laws though.......) to watch the pomp and ceremony and then back to work is feasible - the wedding coverage may last all dya, but not the wedding itself surely?

So instead of costing you a full days downtime, it could cost you for a TV licence (£170?) and a buffet, so probably around £400? You know your own busines, do the maths, which works out less costly?

 

[James1980]

Why not print out a picture of the royal family and allow your employees to glance at it occasionally?

James

 

[Craig HelpTrainingCourses]

Iam in the same situation, our contracts are written correctly and the staff do not have the right to a day off however we have decided that for the sake of morale we will give the day off.

I have got to say the cost to business will be massive for a wedding that many employees will not watch.

 

[Craig HelpTrainingCourses]

I am in the same situation, our contracts are written correctly and the staff do not have the right to a day off however we have decided that for the sake of morale we will give the day off.

I have got to say the cost to business will be massive for a wedding that many employees will not watch.

 

[Fürgefutár.hu]

In the grand scale of things... Cost to you = £7000, if you divide that between the 70 staff, that's a cost of £100 per person to put a smile on their face, improve morale, loyalty and productivity with the added bonus of spending a day with your family and friends on a week day without being hassled with work related calls.

 

[ready2mix]

Why did they not have the wedding at the week end,even better on Sunday most people do?

But then again we have less holidays then our peers in the EU and in EFTA, but then our standard of living , education services , health services, pensions are worse than France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Holland it the list goes on ......so why not the holiday.

But if its gonna cost you 7,000 to shut down pay the staff a bonus of 3,500 and tell them to record it...! that will help with staff moral.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

I thought 29 April 2011 was a bank holiday in which case employees are entitled to the day off?

I guess if it really is a BH then I don't think there's much choice. I would comply for my staff.

It is really a bank holiday, and there is a very real choice!

I assume he doesn't have to give other BHs off either but does... if you take your logic you would give all employees minimum 20 days holiday, no bank holidays, etc.

28 days is the minimum, bank holidays don’t come into it.

Everyone in UK will expect to get the day off unless told otherwise, IMO. This is a landmine waiting to get you unless you play it very well. Depends a lot on the way you interact with your staff and how much they care.

Everyone in the UK expects Christmas day off too. Do we have this debate every year? If it’s going to be a non-working day, many employers can tell staff leave is required from their 28 days. No need for any different treatment for this (or next year’s - or is the same discussion going to be regurgitated next year?) extra bank holiday.



Karl Limpert

 

[Jheath]

I have got to say the cost to business will be massive for a wedding that many employees will not watch.

It will cost me much much more to pay staff an extra day off for this royal wedding of two people I haven't even met, than my own wedding cost - how fair is that?

 

[JDX_John]

Why did they not have the wedding at the week end,even better on Sunday most people do?

Sunday weddings are pretty rare, and perhaps the venue was booked on Saturday

It will cost me much much more to pay staff an extra day off for this royal wedding of two people I haven't even met, than my own wedding cost - how fair is that?

There's not even a wedding for May bank holiday, people just go boozing, so is that any more 'fair'? I think that trying to make life 'fair', or expecting it to be, is really a recipe for bitterness, because it's not.

 

[ghome1971]

I am offering all my staff an extra days holiday. I have also purchased them all a Royal Wedding Sick Bag!

 

[ready2mix]

It will cost me much much more to pay staff an extra day off for this royal wedding of two people I haven't even met, than my own wedding cost - how fair is that?

If your self employed you get the day off and it cost you, they should also decided if they would rather the money or the day off, paid absents has one guaranteed result, maybe David Cameron will pay for this. Write to him and the chancellor.

Just another sign showing how out of touch with the reality's of the real world MPS and government ministers are.

 

[sooraj]

i think you get their good points in favour of you.
you should give holiday to them as you said its a important wedding,but in a condition that they work more time in other days or at the day when its a holiday.

 

[AdamJ]

Why did they not have the wedding at the week end,even better on Sunday most people do?

But then again we have less holidays then our peers in the EU.

Some union bod always crops up on the radio every so often bemoaning there are fewer days of national holiday in the UK than France, which is the usual example they cite. They overlook two important differences

(a) We don't have to look in a mirror each morning and think "ar$e, I'm French".

(b) National holidays in France are fixed to a date and if that falls on a weekend then they lose the day rather than getting it on the nearest Monday as we do. A few years ago Christmas Day fell on a weekend so no holiday. That year they got 6 days of national holiday compared to our usual 8.

 

[sooraj]

they have their own business not a government worker so that we relay on the government holiday.
they are business men and they want to promote their workers to work good and heartedly.

 

[ready2mix]

Some union bod always crops up on the radio every so often bemoaning there are fewer days of national holiday in the UK than France, which is the usual example they cite. They overlook two important differences

(a) We don't have to look in a mirror each morning and think "ar$e, I'm French".

(b) National holidays in France are fixed to a date and if that falls on a weekend then they lose the day rather than getting it on the nearest Monday as we do. A few years ago Christmas Day fell on a weekend so no holiday. That year they got 6 days of national holiday compared to our usual 8.

So does that mean that every 6th and 7th year their worse of than the UK, great a victory for the UK worker !! so in fact that only 3 years they are better of than us on balance?

 

[ready2mix]

Some union bod always crops up on the radio every so often bemoaning there are fewer days of national holiday in the UK than France, which is the usual example they cite. They overlook two important differences

(a) We don't have to look in a mirror each morning and think "ar$e, I'm French".

(b) National holidays in France are fixed to a date and if that falls on a weekend then they lose the day rather than getting it on the nearest Monday as we do. A few years ago Christmas Day fell on a weekend so no holiday. That year they got 6 days of national holiday compared to our usual 8.

So does that mean that every 6th and 7th year their worse of than the UK, great a victory for the UK worker !! so in fact that only 3 years they are better of than us on balance?

 

[roydmoorian]

It will cost me much much more to pay staff an extra day off for this royal wedding of two people I haven't even met, than my own wedding cost - how fair is that?

Since when did being "fair" come into it - Many things are not "fair" - it's not fair that an individual can hide behind, and then fold a Ltd Company when he has spent months promising to pay a supplier, but it happens

 

[Jheath]

Since when did being "fair" come into it - Many things are not "fair" - it's not fair that an individual can hide behind, and then fold a Ltd Company when he has spent months promising to pay a supplier, but it happens

mmmm I disagree. A business that doesn't get paid on time, or at all has at least some control of the situation. There are various options, debt collectors, small claims court etc. Also it's a situation arising from a commercial transaction.

In the case of the bank holiday for the royal wedding, it's a government decision. A government that would like to be seen as pro-small business and has an interest in being seen to be acting fairly.

It was fair" in the context of "fair and reasonable" that I mean, rather than "it's not fair - poor me". When I re-read my post it does come over a bit wrong. Sorry for any confusion!

 

[RadiusBPO]

I'm actually thinking of leaving the country when the weddings on. Maybe fly to Italy - flights are cheap at that time. I don't think I could stand every news site, every news paper, ever channel, every person talking about 2 people who want to spend their lives together.

 

[ready2mix]

Creatania had the right idea in my opinion - let the employees have an extra day off later on in the year.

Some people couldn't give 2 hoots about the wedding and others will want to watch it, therefore some people will want the day off, but many others, epecially if it means they can have a long weekend later on in the year, won't.

Besides, it will be nice for people to actually have a break from their 9-5 zombie lives for once.

They called recorded it?

 

[JDX_John]

All this "it will cost me £10k", you can recoup easily when you review salaries. Increase them slightly less or reduce bonuses or something.

 

[DeanCo]

Hi

I run a business with about 70 staff. We obviously have the "royal wedding" on the 29th of April. Our staff contracts state we don't have to give it off, but not giving it could affect morale. By giving it we obviously lose manpower at a crucial time and it has a net cost of circa ~£7k.

Are any business owners giving it? Any not? Thoughts?

You are not legally obliged to give the day off so why bother? Give somebody an inch and they'll take a mile. Being generous to staff has never worked for me in the past which has made me the hard-nosed business man I am today.

 

[sooraj]

Yup its a better idea to leave an extra day in any other day of that year but here is an other suggestion.
why we not paid them an extra day pay rather than a holiday.Through this the workers are happy and willing to do work on that day or you should contract with them that they follow your order in any way.

 

[movietub]

A net cost of 7k doesn't sound like a lot to a company with 70 staff. Given that you know your staff are half expecting/wanting the day off anyway you can imagine that even if you say no they are unlikely to be as productive as normal for that day. That combined with the long term ill-will generated and you would probably end up as out of pocket overall anyway.

I'm not suggesting anyone should give their staff everything they want and allowing them to hold you to ransom! Just that this is a one off, and you have the choice to use the occasion to help address the give/take balance issue you mentioned earlier, and that you would be making a lot of people very happy!

RE the idea mentioned before about TV's at work to watch the wedding - let's be honest, they don' actually want to watch the wedding as such... They want to sit in a pub with the wedding being shown in the background and several beer glasses in the foreground!

I say let them have what they want if the majority want it - just make sure you agree it in a way that brings some longer term benefit to the company in exchange for the short term loss of income that day.

 

[jelly3]

I do not even think it should be a matter of point scoring with your staff. Majority of Cities and Towns have no public transport on a Bank Holiday, or run a limited Sunday service. And if you live in a village, forget it.

How exactly are you expecting your staff to get to work. Why should they have to leave an extra 2hrs early or whatever to be in work. Are you going to discipline them if they are late?

 

[ready2mix]

every working person should be self employed, and then they can decide if they want to work or not.

 

[Podge]

every working person should be self employed, and then they can decide if they want to work or not.

You do talk tripe sometimes.
How do you handle the logistics if you don't know how many people are going to turn up for work for you. Or are you suggesting that while enjoying self employed status management will still decide when you work.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

I do not even think it should be a matter of point scoring with your staff. Majority of Cities and Towns have no public transport on a Bank Holiday, or run a limited Sunday service. And if you live in a village, forget it.

How exactly are you expecting your staff to get to work. Why should they have to leave an extra 2hrs early or whatever to be in work. Are you going to discipline them if they are late?

Staff have plenty of time to make alternative arrangements, so the above really doesn't offer any excuse. Nonetheless, if it were to pose that much of a problem, all full-time staff already receive at least 28 days off a year, and they can use one of these to book the day off (or the employer can deduct a day off, and close the workplace).

Plenty of employees that won't be seeing any benefit from this bank holiday: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23922937-nhs-row-over-royal-wedding-day-work.do



Karl Limpert

 

[longleaf1]

I know its a bit of a contraversial subject but i'm giving it off on full pay but then again the lads have agreed to work the sunday at standard rate.
Its all about give and take.