Bank Holidays and University Closure Days; Principles for Providing Staff Cover

In most areas of the University staff would not be expected to attend work on bank holidays or closure days. However, in some areas there may still be a requirement for a certain level of staffing to be maintained. The following principles should be followed by managers when allocating staff to work on bank holidays and University closure days, and this may include bank holiday weekends for those staff whose rotas include Saturday or Sunday working:

1. Wherever possible staff should not normally be expected to work on bank holidays or closure days unless there is a clear requirement to do so.

2. Where staff are required to work then managers should decide in advance on the appropriate level of staffing and communicate this clearly to the respective team.

3. Where appropriate, consideration should normally be given to seeking volunteers before nominating staff to work.

4. Managers normally should ensure that bank holiday or closure day working is fairly distributed amongst the relevant pool of eligible staff.

5. Where bank holidays and University closure days reduce the required staffing levels on other working days e.g. Easter weekend for those staff whose normal working week includes Saturday or Sunday working, then the affected staff should be given as much notice as reasonably practicable. Staff not required to work on such occasions will not have a contractual entitlement to additional paid time off, so may choose either to take the time as paid annual leave from their existing leave quota or may request to work the time in lieu where this is also in line with the needs of the business.

6. All arrangements for working on bank holidays and closure days must ensure that staff will receive their full contractual entitlements to annual leave, and any staff required to work on bank holidays will be paid the appropriate premium rate and/or receive time off in lieu, in line with their terms and conditions of employment.

7. Where staff do not have sufficient pro-rata entitlement to time off for bank holidays and closure days then they may be required to take this as paid annual leave. Alternatives may include unpaid leave or agreeing to work the hours in lieu where the latter is also in line with the needs of the business.