Part time worker bank hols problem.

avenue12

Just checked my holiday allowance for 2026. I am a UK part time worker, just 7.5 hours on a Saturday for over ten years with good standing.
But, my holiday allowance which used to show 70 hours now shows 49.5. not including brought forward hours.
I noticed as Boxing day is on a Saturday in 2026 a day has been deducted as holiday. Yet the office is closed obviously, although it normally opens on a Saturday and just part time people work.
Yet the bank holiday has been moved to Monday so Full time people get the Monday off as a bank holiday.

My contract was changed recently to say the employer can decide some holiday days.

Any ideas?

TELLIT01

I'll leave the calculation of holiday entitlement to others, but the employer has always had the right to decide when an employee can take holidays.  That being added to the contract is simply a clarification.

Woodstok2000

Further to the above, your employer can  also decide when to open/close their office and require staff to take holidays on those days, subject to notice and any contractual requirements. 

The statutory holiday entitlement for someone working 1 day of 7.5 hours per week is 42 hours for the year.

superbigal

70 Hours would have equalled a full timer getting over 46 days holiday in a year.  I would keep your head down as suggest over payment of holidays in the past.  

Marcon

avenue12 said:

Just checked my holiday allowance for 2026. I am a UK part time worker, just 7.5 hours on a Saturday for over ten years with good standing.
But, my holiday allowance  hours now shows 49.5. not including brought forward hours.

So 6.6 days a years. Scale that up to FTE and you are still getting pro rata to 33 days a year - well in excess of the statutory minimum and possibly more than full timers get?

avenue12

Thanks all! Bit clearer. So when did Boxing Day cease to be a Bank holiday?

monkey-fingers

avenue12 said:

Thanks all! Bit clearer. So when did Boxing Day cease to be a Bank holiday?

In 2026, the bank holiday is a Monday. A BH can never be a Saturday or Sunday, because traditionally banks weren't open.

Woodstok2000

avenue12 said:

Thanks all! Bit clearer. So when did Boxing Day cease to be a Bank holiday?

It didn't, but the boxing day holiday is Monday 28th December.

Savvy_Sue

The office is closed on 26th December, so your employer requires you to take a day's leave. I think you'll find those who work on Mondays have also had a day taken from their holiday entitlement. 

Have you carried leave forward in previous years?

saajan_12

avenue12 said:

Just checked my holiday allowance for 2026. I am a UK part time worker, just 7.5 hours on a Saturday for over ten years with good standing.
But, my holiday allowance which used to show 70 hours now shows 49.5. not including brought forward hours.

I noticed as Boxing day is on a Saturday in 2026 a day has been deducted as holiday.
..

How much holiday were you entitled to in your contract? Both the original and new hours are above the statutory, but if you're entitled to more contractually, then you should indeed get it. 

Also 70 - 49.5 = 20.5 which is more than just 1 day, so there must be more to this change. However check your contractual entitlement first before raising. 

avenue12 said:

I noticed as Boxing day is on a Saturday in 2026 a day has been deducted as holiday. Yet the office is closed obviously, although it normally opens on a Saturday and just part time people work.
Yet the bank holiday has been moved to Monday so Full time people get the Monday off as a bank holiday.

My contract was changed recently to say the employer can decide some holiday days.

Any ideas?

avenue12 said:

Thanks all! Bit clearer. So when did Boxing Day cease to be a Bank holiday?

The bank hols were always Mon-Fri, but Xmas/Boxing day are likely to be holidays too in many businesses. 

Nothing wrong with this, they were always allowed to close the business and dictate that day as a holiday deducted from your allowance, whether your full time or part time, and whether that's stated or not in the contract.