I thought that bank holidays were additional to the four weeks entitlement. Am I right?

Question

I have just started a temporary one year contract through an employment agency. It says that I am entitled to four  weeks' paid  holiday a year including bank holidays. I thought that bank holidays were additional to the four weeks' entitlement. Am I right?

Answer

No I am afraid that the agency is correct. Most employees have a statutory right to four weeks' paid holiday a year and that it includes bank holidays. Unless your contract specifically says that bank holidays are in addition to your statutory holiday entitlement, bank holidays will be included in the four weeks' holiday per year.

However, changes to the law are currently being implemented and it is likely that statutory holiday entitlements will change to four weeks plus bank holidays in 2007.

For more information about your employment rights visit useful sites such as:

http://www.advicenow.org.uk/

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/

http://www.tiger.gov.uk/

For advice search the hereforadvice Directory

Produced by Citizens Advice and Herefordshire Citizens Advice Bureaux edited by hereforadvice.