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Under legal minimum holiday entitlement?

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
cheerful
Posts: 90
Joined: 29 Jun 2016, 21:30
Gender: Male

Under legal minimum holiday entitlement?

Post by cheerful »

What is the basic holiday entitlement for someone with only a few years service?

If it's the legal minimum, then I've been receiving less than that the last few years.

The legal minimum is 4 weeks + bank holidays, often showed as 5.6 days * days you work in a normal week (28 days for a 5 day contract, 22.4 days for a 4 day contract).

The legal minimum can also be calculated on hours worked (140 hours for 5 days at 5 hours=28 shifts, 112 hours for 4 days at 5 hours=22 shifts+2 hours).

I'm on a 4 day contract, and often still work 4 days on weeks with Bank Holidays.

I've bought 6 weeks holiday, so don't know what the basic amount of leave is.
rogersh
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 1374
Joined: 26 Oct 2011, 11:31
Gender: Male

Re: Under legal minimum holiday entitlement?

Post by rogersh »

All annual leave is calculated in hours.
RM give 2.5 days above the standard 20 days annual leave.

My contract states on entry RM give an employee, working a 5 day week, entitlement 4 weeks 2.5 days (22.5 days)
Plus 8 B/H this equates to 30.5 days p.a.

You are correct in saying your entitlement would be 22.4 days.
I assume working a 4 day week you would be entitled (pro-rata) 2 more days.

my calculation = 122 hours plus 8 x 5 = 40 hours bank holiday hours (see below)



Edited from;
Annual Holiday Policy- Bank and public holidays Guide for employees

Bank and public holiday entitlements for part-time employees Royal Mail Group (except HR Services) Part-time employees who work at least four days a week
 Are entitled to the same time off as full-time employees
 If their work pattern means that they miss a bank or public holiday the time off should be given as close to the particular holiday as possible
If an employee works three or fewer days a week:
 The total bank holiday entitlement should be reduced pro-rata to a five day week (rounded to the nearest half day

Calculating bank holiday entitlements This table shows how to calculate an employee’s bank holiday entitlement. It is based on a year when there are eight bank holidays.

Number of days worked per week. / Number of Bank Holiday Entitlement days due
1 = 1.5
2 = 3
3 = 5
4 = 8
5 = 8
cheerful
Posts: 90
Joined: 29 Jun 2016, 21:30
Gender: Male

Re: Under legal minimum holiday entitlement?

Post by cheerful »

rogersh wrote: ↑
24 Dec 2020, 16:45
my calculation = 122 hours plus 8 x 5 = 40 hours bank holiday hours (see below)
Thank you for your reply, especially about having the full 8 days BH allowance. Pleasantly surprised at that.

I'm on a 4 day / 5 hours per day contract.

Is that correct?
122 hours plus 8 x 5?

20 hours per week * 4.5 weeks = 90 hours, (plus 8 bank holidays * 5 hours= 40 hours) = 130 hours total?

130 hours would be 26 * 5 hour shifts, seems about right for 4.5 weeks (at 4 days/week) plus BH's?



Seems I'm definitely getting less days off than I should be.

My first couple of years at RM, I was only worked Wed-Sat, no days in lieu for Bank Holiday Mondays. In 2016 Christmas/New Year were on a Sunday, and in 2017 they were on a Monday, the only Bank Holidays I had those years was Good Friday.

Those years I'd have received the RM standard of 4.5 weeks (18 days/90 hours) + 1 BH (5 hours).

So in 2017 that's 17 hours below the legal minimum of 112 hours and...

If I'm supposed to have 130 hours holiday, then I've been short changed 35 hours or ...

If I'm supposed to have 122 hours plus 8 x 5 then I've been short changed 67 hours.

Wow, I thought maybe I wasn't getting enough, but since I was buying 6 weeks holiday I didn't realise it was that bad.


This year I'm getting 5 days off on weeks with BH's, I thought I was doing well, but it seems like I'm still getting short changed. I'll be getting 115 hours holiday, just above the legal minimum of 112.



Checking out the

https://www.cwusouthmidspostal.org/wp-c ... -A4-NN.pdf

It states:
Attendance Length & Length of Break:
3 hours 31 minutes to 4 hours 59 minutes – 20 minutes break
5 hours to 7 hours – 30 minutes break

I'm on a 5 hour/day contract, and have always been told to book 20 extra minutes for my (untaken) break. Really I should be booking 30 mins/day?
Apart from Covid times, I was always asked to do some prep, usually 60-90 minutes, that would definitely put me into the 30 mins/day break? Or is the break time only based on contracted hours, does overtime not count?
Last edited by cheerful on 24 Dec 2020, 20:15, edited 1 time in total.
rogersh
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 1374
Joined: 26 Oct 2011, 11:31
Gender: Male

Re: Under legal minimum holiday entitlement?

Post by rogersh »

Sorry my error.
https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights
Calculator on entering 4 day week gives 22.4 days (as opposed to 28 days statutory for 5 days) - both include Bank Holidays.

I added 2 days - pro rata - as RM give 2.5 above 20 to give you 24.4 x 5hrs = 122 (this includes B/H)

24.4 days x 5 hrs = 122 hrs total.

I would request your manager to print you an "Annual Leave Card" since you commenced your employment to check how much leave you have taken & what remains.