What are your rights if you want time off work for the Queen’s funeral?

The date of the Queen’s funeral has been announced as a bank holiday but not everyone will be given the day off work to pay their respects.

On Monday, September 19, the Queen’s funeral will be held in Westminster Abbey at 11am.

King Charles III approved the day as a bank holiday which means many schools and businesses will be closed.

This will allow individuals, businesses and other organisations to pay their respects to the Queen.

However, this does not mean that everyone will have the day off work.

What does this bank holiday mean for employees?

The government has said employees taking time off work on the day is a matter to be discussed between individuals and employers.

While the bank holiday will apply everywhere in the UK, there is no legal requirement for employers to give staff a day off.

Existing contractual agreements cannot be interfered with but the government said they “would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday”.

A statement on the UK Government website says: “This bank holiday will operate in the same way as other bank holidays, and there is no statutory entitlement to time off.

“Employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement.

“The bank holiday will be a unique national moment, and we would encourage employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take time off.”

The Scottish Government has issued similar guidance saying not everyone is entitled to paid leave and to check with employers.

Staff working during the bank holiday are advised to speak with their employers about whether they will get a day’s holiday back.

Discussions relating to extra pay and reclaiming annual leave days are also matters to be discussed with employers.

What the bank holiday will look like in the north and north-east

With schools in the north and north-east being closed on Monday, a lot of working parents will be hoping they can get some time off.

The Scottish Government has said guidance has been given to health boards to support planning for the holiday.

NHS Grampian announced that all scheduled treatment will still go ahead on the day whereas NHS Highland has said only high-risk treatments will go ahead. For further information, patients should visit their local NHS board.

Public transport services are currently expected to run as normal but most major supermarkets are expected to close for the day with many public spaces also shutting.

Postal services will be suspended and a lot of restaurants and shopping chains will be closed out of respect. 

Cinemas will also be closed however, Vue will open its cinemas to allow people to watch the funeral for free in its premises in Aberdeen and Inverness.