How will an extra bank holiday affect small business?

The coronation

In May the UK are being treated to an extra bank holiday thanks to His Majesty King Charles III and the coronation taking place on the 6th of May. Together with May Day and the Spring bank holiday there will now be three official holidays rather than the usual two. This is great news for residents who can come together for street parties, watching TV packed with royal schedules and enjoying time with their families lighting up the BBQ.

Overall, the coronation is the perfect excuse for celebration and is great for businesses residing in the retail and hospitality sector. Preparations and parties will mean an increase in spending boosting the economy in desperate need of an influx. But regardless of sector companies can still partake by promoting the event on their social media channels and joining their followers in celebrating this once in a lifetime occasion online.

Will staff be able to take the day off?

Usually, small businesses need to account for eight official holidays in the UK. These include Christmas, New Year’s Day, Easter, May and August bank holidays. However, there is no legal entitlement for staff to receive paid leave which is creating confusion as to workers’ rights. The solution lies within the wording of each individual employee contract. Therefore, before staff members begin to make plans, they should check with their line manager or HR department to clarify their personal situation.

What if the answer is no and staff call in sick?

There is always a risk in situations like these for staff members who are not entitled to paid leave to take it upon themselves to phone in on the morning citing they are unwell. In cases such as these it is very difficult for managers to know if employees are truly sick or playing truant for the day. It is all about staff trust as there is no way to track someone’s movements unless of course they publicly post something incriminating on their social media pages.

What about homeworkers?

Homeworkers unfortunately pose another grey area as they are already under the microscope with concerns regarding staff performance and productivity compared to those being in the office. Let’s face it if there is a party happening outside of their front door or in their garden it will be difficult not to be tempted to join in. This is where the common-sense approach should apply coupled with organising time ahead of the event to ensure all work is completed before they celebrate along with their family.

How to manage 3 weeks of a 4-day week?

Should businesses be worried about having three four-day weeks in one month? On the positive side there have been many successful studies examining the benefits associated with a four-day work week. If correctly managed this style of working can improve staff health, productivity, reduce stress and increase morale. However, for this route to be effective managers and staff should work together to plan their goals in advance ensuring that the workload can be balanced without having any negative effects.

Summary

The coronation should be seen as a national celebration where community spirit is often at its highest as neighbourhoods pull together to witness this once in a lifetime event. It seems a shame that the weekend and effectively just one day will cause chaos to businesses and team relations due to lack of communication and overshadowed with distrust.

Unfortunately, it’s not a case of one size fits all with no formal compliance in place to determine the perfect answer for all businesses. Therefore, it falls upon the owners to make the right decision for their company one which will cause the least amount of disruption to their customers while ensuring that their staff remain happy.