Agenda 2012: Bank holidays and religious festivals

The HR & Compliance Centre quick reference section provides a full list of bank and public holidays in the UK and highlights some of the commonly celebrated religious festivals and anniversaries during 2012. There is an additional bank holiday in 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on 5 June. 

• Bank and public holidays 2012 (England and Wales)
• Bank and public holidays 2012 (Northern Ireland)
• Statutory bank holidays 2012 (Scotland)
• Chinese religious festivals and anniversaries 2012
• Christian religious festivals and anniversaries 2012
• Hindu religious festivals and anniversaries 2012
• Islamic religious festivals and anniversaries 2012
• Jewish religious festivals and anniversaries 2012
• Sikh religious festivals and anniversaries 2012

Also

XpertHR's line manager briefing on annual leave aims to help line managers to understand the laws on holiday entitlement and holiday pay, including bank and public holidays and the notice requirements for taking leave. 

XpertHR's FAQs section on bank holidays answers the following commonly asked questions:

• Are employees entitled to time off for bank holidays in addition to the statutory minimum annual leave entitlement of 5.6 weeks?
• What is an employee's holiday entitlement if an extra bank holiday is granted one year?
• Can employees be required to work on bank holidays?
• Is an employee who is required to work on bank holidays entitled to extra pay?
• Are part-time workers entitled to bank holidays?

XpertHR's FAQs section on religion or belief discrimination answers the following commonly asked questions:

• Should employees who practise faiths other than Christianity be given additional annual leave to enable them to celebrate religious festivals?
• Should employees who practise religions other than Christianity be given additional time off in lieu where a bank holiday is aligned to a Christian festival such as Easter?
• Can Christian employees refuse to work on the bank holidays that are aligned to a Christian festival such as Easter?

The HR & Compliance Centre good practice guide on religion and belief includes guidance on employee requests for time off for religious observation.