Holiday days for shift workers working bank holidays

Vince6

Hi I'm just wondering if anyone can offer any insight to this:

We recently had a change in contract where we lost many holiday hours. We work 60 hours one week, then 24 hours the next week, on a rolling two-week rota. Each shift is 12 hours with one hour break so we work on average 42 hours a week (or 38.5 hours with breaks taken off). The 60 hours week includes working Mondays and Fridays so working bank holidays are inevitable.

The company has said that our new holiday hours will be 215.6 per year and we will receive no lieu time for any bank holidays worked (it's not optional - you must work them or book them off). 215.6 / 11 hour shifts = 19.6 days off. This seems fine until you realise you are also working a few bank holidays throughout the year also and don't gain any time back? Is this correct or are we owed bank holidays as holiday hours also if we are working them?

We have asked for it to be explained many times but no one seems to understand.

Note: the change of contract was not a change - it stated '20 days holiday' but what it meant was 'the equivalent of' (but then 19.6 doesn't = 20 days equivalent so no idea - no one really understands how the conclusion was come to).

TIA

Comms69

Bank holidays are not special, so yes that's fine. Basically you work 3.5 days a week; and therefore get 19.6 days holiday. 

The contract sounds amateurish, but you could argue you have a contractual entitlement to an additional 0.4 days.

getmore4less

You work 7 out of 14 day that's 3.5 days a week average. 
5.6 weeks is 19.6 days holiday.
That is statutory minimum. 

They probably meant pro-rata 20+BH.

Vince6

Thanks @getmore4less and @Comms69 . Unfortunately it isn't 20+BH. Not allowed to book Christmas or New Year period off and have to work it all, 12 hour shifts! 20 days holiday WOW. ROUGH haha.

getmore4less

The statutory is 28 for full time 5 days a week
Often done as 20 + 8 BH. 

You work 3.5 days a week which is 19.6 days pro-rata from 28.

KP20

20 days' holiday may sound rough, but you also get seven days per fortnight where you are not working, when for an average M-F worker, they only have four days off over that period.

So for you to have two weeks of holiday, you take seven days out of your holiday allowance, whereas a M-F worker would be deducted 10 days.

It works out the same over the year. 

getmore4less

Probably worth a reminder that statutory holidays are actually weeks currently a min of 5.6 weeks.
That should always be the starting point when working out allowances in other units like days and hours.