Moving the May Bank Holiday

Originally Posted by Rob

I suspect that May Day is seen by many in the tourism industries as the real start of the season. Easter is just too early for temperatures to be reliable to get people thinking of outdoors. So removing that holiday, and making it later in the year is just shifting the season back and forth a bit. No real gain.

But from a bank holiday perspective why have Easter, may Day and the end of May holidays in such short succession. A date later in the year would spread things out.

Oh and to the unions, business leaders and such like who all say moving the holiday would be disruptive, I doubt it would be a sudden occurence and there would be a couple of years notice, whcih would give far more planning time than the holiday suddenly announced for the Royal Wedding, that is undoubtedly distruptive when so many will now be trying to skive that whole week.

I agree ,far too many 4 day weeks comming up in a short period ,losing too much money in a already bad year

[techguyone]

I think its just peachy how they want to 'move' an existing one, rather than give us 'another' one, it's not like we have a lot compared to the rest of Europe.

[Taf]

Politicians must have an inbuilt "need" to fiddle about with things.

[Peter_]

We should have a new Bank Holiday on Trafalgar Day which is the 21st of October, which would be much better all round as it would be rather pointless moving the Bank Holiday to St George's Day as that would make no real difference, especially with the way Easter moves around each year.

[Tezcatlipoca]

"Holiday to celebrate dragon-slaying or death of 2,000 Frenchmen"

Originally Posted by The Daily Mash

ENGLAND faces the tantalising choice of a national holiday that celebrates either the slaying of a fictional animal by a made-up saint or the violent deaths of a great many French people.

Ministers believe the May Day bank holiday has become bloated and inefficient while also failing to give people 24 hours off work in a sufficiently English manner.

They now want a national debate on whether England should have a holiday on April 23, in commemoration of a legendary Syrian for whom there is not a shred of historical evidence, or October 21, marking the day when undereducated men from across Europe died to satisfy the armchair whims of a handful of egomaniacal sociopaths.

The government said Trafalgar Day could also be a 'British celebration' based on the assumption that Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh people enjoy the death of a Frenchman as much as anyone.

(snip)

One in October would be better. We have enough around April already.

I dont really care what they call it, although celebrating the defeat of France could be seen as a bonus.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Hugh

"skive" - such an emotive term....

Some of us have booked the three days between the two long weekends off as annual leave, so are off work for eleven days.

Same here

Originally Posted by papa smurf

yes and one of us was called a conniving old git when he booked it but what can i say the leave rota was empty some one had to do it

There was some sour grapes in our office but that was because they had not seen it and booked it themselves

[tweetiepooh]

I always find it interesting that those opposed to bank holidays in general not just extra ones are the bosses of companies whose employees work the day and they don't. i.e. I don't want to pay extra to my staff I make work that day while I'm off playing golf with other bosses who feel the same.

And having different holidays for different parts of the UK is also difficult, especially if you live near the border.

And I did get to book the 3 day week off. Wonder if I'm on-call for any of it?

[handyman]

Originally Posted by Sirius

There was some sour grapes in our office but that was because they had not seen it and booked it themselves

Not having a calender to hand what are those dates? I could use some time off and don't have much holiday entitlement left :-)

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by handyman

Not having a calender to hand what are those dates? I could use some time off and don't have much holiday entitlement left :-)

26/27/28 April.

Good Friday 22 April, Easter Monday 25 April, Royal wedding 29 April plus May Bank Holiday Monday 2 May gives you a clear 11 days out of the office at the cost of 3 days' leave (Tues-Thurs, 26-28 April).

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Chris

Good Friday 22 April, Easter Monday 25 April, Royal wedding 29 April plus May Bank Holiday Monday 2 May gives you a clear 11 days out of the office at the cost of 3 days' leave (Tues-Thurs, 26-28 April).

If your company does not have people working on Bank Holidays.

I will not mind working on the Royal Wedding Day as I have Zero intention of watching any of it.

We will be watching it here, not least because we have two daughters who are into Disney princesses in a big, big way, and this is a rare chance to see a girl becoming a princess in real life. It also happens to be our youngest's birthday, so a great excuse for an extra-big party.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Chris

We will be watching it here, not least because we have two daughters who are into Disney princesses in a big, big way, and this is a rare chance to see a girl becoming a princess in real life. It also happens to be our youngest's birthday, so a great excuse for an extra-big party.

Nice to see that it all gels together in that way for you all, I hope she has a day never to forget.