Bank Holidays, Should they stay?

[youngmafbog]

According to Economists Bank holidays are stunting our Economic growth. It seems to be estimated that growth could be double if we did away with (or spread) Bank Holidays.

Should they go or should they stay? Perhaps they should be added to everyones annual holiday to take when wanted ?

Views?

[rojash]

Do away with 'em. And all holidays. Why not weekends too.
After all, economic growth is the only thing worth living for.

Isn't it?

[emmie]

i doubt that it's the fact there is a public holiday that is stunting growth, whatever the experts say, more that we are still picking up the pieces of the last administration. Just one part of the problem but not all. After all many people do work on Bank Holidays and not just the emergency service people, but shop staff, and often office workers who go in to catch up, which is what we had to do some times. Sure many people welcome a day or two break, where they can get away with their children. And what about schools, they close for these public holidays, do they stay open? How will the unions view it as well, sure they would be moaning about workers rights and so forth.

[boxtops]

I wouldn't want them to go - although it almost always rains on BHs, it's a great day for arranging public events etc when lots will be on hol. However - we have too many in the Spring, I'd rather they were spread out more, one in Sept would be nice. They're always fixed unless by some Act of Parliament they're not - I see we are working (what was) Whit Monday this year, so that we can have two days off in June.
Other countries have far more than we do - I wonder if the workers there get correspondingly less annual leave days?
And re your last para - in the NHS, that's what happens, because it's a 24/7 service. If you are rostered to work on a BH, you can take that day back on any convenient shift.

[emmie]

most people need a break, call it a bonus from the toil of life and work, and they are already fairly well spread out if you look. Most countries across Europe i think have more public holidays than we do, how do they manage.

[starone]

Looks as if this might already have started. There is a rubbish collection today and the new rota includes every working day except Christmas and New Year. Always before the collection has been on one or two days later which included the holidays. I am so used to this that I had to make sure I remembered the right day. I know this is only a small concession, but of course, as em and boxtops say, there are plenty of people who already work during the Bank and Public Holidays.

[rov1100]

They don't call them bank holidays for nothing. Only the bankers can afford them!

[Gromit]

Most economists would say that is rubbish. This story has come from the Centre for Economic and Business Research which appears to be a small right wing think tank run by an ex IBM executive.

Last year they blamed a dip in indusrial output on the Royal Wedding. They are already predicting the Queen's Jubilee will have a similar effect.

Personally, I do not like bank holidays and would prefer the two full weeks to lumped into a fortnight in the summer.

[237SJ]

I don`t like Bank Holidays. As far as I`m concerned, they`re a hinderance to what I want to do on my days off. I`m a shift worker so it`s all the same to me. I think they should stay though. Some holidays are the same almost world over so there would be no trading on world markets on those days anyway.

[Prudie]

how can what is effectively about 2% of the days in a year have a doubling impact on growth?

[RATTER15]

The company I work for does not recognise any Bank Holidays except for Xmas day and new years day where we get double time, any other bank holiday its work as usual and not a penny extra.

[LyndaB]

Personally, I think that they should be added to everyone's annual holiday. But then I have a vested interest. Monday is my normal day off - so I just miss out on most of the BH's. I would much prefer to add the days onto my holidays. We never go anywhere on the Bank Holidays - why would anyone want to spend hours in a traffic jam?

[Prudie]

I'd check on that with your employer lynda - my employer (admittedly public sector) gives anyone who doesn't normally work Mondays a day off in lieu elsewhere.

[pastafreak]

I work part time-so the BH I get are pro rata. I don't mind, as though I never work on Mondays-I still get days in lieu. Maybe my employer is fairly generous.

[pastafreak]

I'd rather have them as separate days...then they feel like something a bit extra.