UNISON members have been in touch to say that there are still issues around the calculation of time for the additional public holiday for the Queen Diamond Jubilee (QDJ).
Groups of workers with non-standard hours such as early years workers, are receiving conflicting advice about how the holiday entitlement should be calculated and have approached the branch for advice.
Alarmingly some members have been informed locally that they will need to work back hours due to the Queen Diamond Jubilee public holiday.
If you work non-standard hours, then you are entitled to receive a fair pro-rata amount of public holiday leave. Part time workers and those who don’t work on a Friday, are entitled to a pro rata entitlement of the additional fixed day.
Example 1 - if you work 25 hours Monday – Thursday, you are entitled to 5 hours leave to be taken at a date agreed with your manager.
Example 2 – if you work 18.5 hours Wednesday – Friday, you are entitled to 3.7 hours leave on Friday 3rd June. If you work more than 3.7 hours on a Friday, the balance of hours will come from your own annual leave entitlement.
Example 3 – if you work 30 hours Monday – Friday, you are entitled to 6 hours leave. If you work more than 6 hours on a Friday, the balance of hours will come from your annual leave entitlement. If you work less than 6 hours, e.g., you work 3 hours on Friday, then you will be entitled to take the balance of hours at an alternative date.
Those who work Monday to Friday, but different hours each day or work compressed hours, should follow the same rules as part time employees.
UNISON have already contacted HR and service management about the issue. HR have told us a newsletter communication was distributed to local managers to help support them. Unfortunately, the message doesn’t seem to have got through to some areas within Falkirk Council. We have been given the commitment that advice will be re issued to managers with a view of clarifying matters.
While UNISON will continue to press management on the issue, It appears that the only way to resolve this issue locally, will be through a collective grievance from all the affected members.
If you are still affected by this issue and the rules above haven’t been applied to you, then we need you to get in touch with the branch.
(i.e. you are being told you will need to work unpaid hours as a consequence of booking off your entitled hours for the QDJ public holiday.)
Affected members that want to join the collective grievance or find out more can do so by emailing our Local Organiser Adrian Moore a.moore@unison.co.uk
Please drop Adrian a clear email stating your Name, Workplace, Job and contact number. Please also indicate if you are a current UNISON member.
UPDATE 11/05/22 - UNISON are bringing the issue to COSLA as it appears there is inconsistency in how term and part time workers are having public holidays applied in a number of Local Authorities in Scotland.