New Years day working..

micflair_2

Just a quick one, the company that I work for are closed on Boxing day and new years day and have been since time began, however they have stated that it might change next year and they are making amendments to the company handbook to show this. We will be given a new copy of the handbook and asked to sign for it.

Would signing for it make a new contract between an employee and employer? Thus then making them able to get us to work the new years day?

Cheers.

Uncertain

micflair wrote: »

Would signing for it make a new contract between an employee and employer? Thus then making them able to get us to work the new years day?

Cheers.

Well they could do this anyway unless there is an express term in your current contract guaranteeing certain days off.

Otherwise, with almost no restriction, an employer can tell an employee when they can and cannot take their holiday. There is no particular right to bank holidays, even Christmas Day. Your legal right is simply to a certain amount of paid holiday (28 days - or more if your contract so provides).

ohreally

Potentialy, yes.

Negotiate changes to apply to new staff and not existing staff.

micflair_2

So 2 totally different answers.. that clears things up for me.. haha.

I can understand it for new starters as they are being told whats expected of them before hand, but for people who have been there 20+ years and not worked these 2 days since they started..

LittleVoice

micflair wrote: »

Just a quick one, the company that I work for are closed on Boxing day and new years day and have been since time began, however they have stated that it might change next year and they are making amendments to the company handbook to show this. We will be given a new copy of the handbook and asked to sign for it.

Would signing for it make a new contract between an employee and employer? Thus then making them able to get us to work the new years day?

Cheers.

Do they mean from New Year 2013 or from Boxing Day/New Year 2013/14?

By saying "might" they are just adding uncertainty but may be testing the reaction of staff.

Sambucus_Nigra

micflair wrote: »

So 2 totally different answers.. that clears things up for me.. haha.

I can understand it for new starters as they are being told whats expected of them before hand, but for people who have been there 20+ years and not worked these 2 days since they started..

They don't have to get anyone to sign any new contract. They just open on different days. The only entitlement is to your annual leave - so if they have said 28 days leave then they would have control to not allow leave on days they want you to work. If they have said 20 days plus bank holidays - it's that that they need to change as NYD is a bank holiday.

micflair_2

Cheers people. Its not for 2013, its for 2014 they are thinking of doing it.

I guess the basic answer is that yes, they can make us work these days.. oh great fun! haha. Going to be a lot of unhappy people next year..

theoretica

Once people get used to the idea it might not be too upsetting for those without children. Assuming you have the same number of holiday days a year these are two extra to take when you want rather than being told to take them mid winter.