Many people, local authorities, groups and organisations regard today, December 28, as a bank holiday - even though it's three days after Christmas Day. There's also some doubt over whether Sunday, or yesterday, was Boxing Day. However, surely - for the benefit of hard-pressed businesses in small towns like Brigg - it's time for a Government review into what happens when Christmas Day falls on a Saturday. It must have been hard for some small outlets in Brigg to decide whether to open their doors today, gambling extra staffing costs against the number of folk who might visit the town centre to do a bit of shopping.
Can the country really afford to see a virtual shutdown for four successive days?
PS Congratulations to Tesco on claiming a Brigg Blog record. Our posting on December 13 entitled BRIGG TESCO FESTIVE OPENING HOURS has enjoyed more readers than any other story posted on Brigg Blog since Google first started providing us with a "stats" service. We put that on Brigg Blog free of charge as a matter of public information. Maybe next year we should be chasing Tesco for a contribution towards our running costs. We think the firm could just about afford it!
Nige - not very good with our sums today, are we, Scribs?
ReplyDeleteThere's no difference between the annual number of shop opening days this year, as compared with other years.
If Christmas Day falls mid-week, shops are still closed.
Wot may be puzzling you is that CD & BD are sumperimposed over a weekend ....and as they are each regarded as a Bank Hol they, or the weekend days have to be extended as 'days in lieu'. A similar thing will occur on New Years' Day, next weekend - now in England - regarded as a BH.
But add all the weekend days + number of BH (or 'in-lieu' days) then the sum total is annually the same.
However, shops, in general, can open on a Bank Holiday (or a BH in-lieu day), BUT, since now full-time employees have, by legislation, a minimum of 28 days (including BH's) annual leave entitlement, staff working on a BH, or in-lieu day are entitled to an alternative in-lieu day holiday.
Hope that's cleared the air, Scribbler.
I will set a test after I've had me loo day!
ps My understanding, however, is that employers are not legally obliged to pay staff for BH days off (it's an entitlement for free time, not necessarily with pay) - but most firms will recognise both benefits for their staff.
pps Good idea, Nige....Brigg Blog could have a Commercial Bloggy Bit. A quid a line - pix extra!
But watch out for me under-cutting you, Murdoch - for 50p a line, I could enter the Tesco details in me postings!!
Just thought I'd mention the extra Bank Holiday in 2011 for the Wedding and again in 2012 for the Queen's diamond Jubilee.
ReplyDeletep.s. Boxing Day is always 26th Dec.
Just thought I'd mention the extra Bank Holiday in 2011 for the Wedding and again in 2012 for the Queen's diamond Jubilee.
ReplyDeletep.s. Boxing Day is always 26th Dec.
Blimey!
ReplyDeleteTwo lots of Andy - seems to be lots of Bank Hols in 2011.
Nige........all this bumf about the equal number of bank hols - forget it!!!
ReplyDeleteIsn't there also the Wales and Middleton Bank Hol on 29th April, 2011?
On BANK holidays, banks don't open, nor do some other shops - by choice. They don't have to open, but judge whether it's worth it. Some Brigg folk may agree with me that having bank holidays in addition to Christmas Day (and Sunday) in the period after Dec 25 is too much. Bank holidays are a bit like buses at this time of year... There will be another one along in a minute (New Year). Oh, and I see that as New Year's Day this year is on a Saturday, we have to create a bank holiday on Monday, January 3.
ReplyDeleteEBENEZER SCRIBS!
ReplyDeleteScrooge, shops can open during BH's - I noticed in Brigg yesterday that some of the charity shops were open, but other high street retailers, apart from the chippies, remained closed.
Apart from the traditional sales in all the big stores, (which use to happen in January) this middling week between Christmas and New Year has always been moribund.
I'll get you a packet of humbugs!!!
ps I can see your point, Nige - the ecomony's gone flat, but no-one seems to want to work over the festive season. But the local weather conditions aren't helping.
I see some national media outlets are now running stories about how many small businesses are suffering from the bank holiday and associated weekend days.
ReplyDelete