Why do we have bank holidays?

[plowter]

Why do we have 'bank holidays' as opposed to 'public holidays'?

Was there ever a reason that meant that banks had to close more often than other businesses?

[Goodsoulette]

The shops never used to be open on a bank holiday.

It was a big gripe where I used to work that we had no choice in it however, the company I worked for did everything they could to stop any of its employees forming a union. If we asked why we had to work them, well you get given 5 weeks holiday a year. Why don't we get paid more for unsocial hours? we'll you get 5 weeks holiday a year. That was there answer for everything.

I personally would love to see everywhere shut on banks holidays and shut for a week at Christmas again.

[Oneeyedvic]

I personally would love to see everywhere shut on banks holidays and shut for a week at Christmas again.

Just curious - do you include pubs, restaurants and hotels in that?

Most shop workers I know subscribe to the same argument, moaning about the work they have to do on Sundays / bank holidays but have no consideration for the pub workers.


Going back to the original question, what is not covered is Religious Bank Holidays (Christmas, East Sunday etc). This used to have a significance in the pub trade as you could only open certain hours on those days (Sunday trading from memory) as opposed to normal bank holidays when you could open normal hours.

I don't know what the regulations are now but presume that they have changed with the change in licensing law.

[Goodsoulette]

Difficult decision. I think that if pubs want to open they should be able to but limited to those old fashioned sunday hours. Too many shop/cafe/pub workers work every weekend, they get no extra.

I worked in the licensing trade for many years and most pub workers hated working sundays too, in the managed houses.