UK employers operating an April-to-March holiday year face an unusual situation: two Good Friday bank holidays within the 2023-24 leave year (7 April 2023 and 29 March 2024).

This creates potential complications for holiday entitlement and statutory obligations.

The Key Issue

The impact depends on how your organisation treats bank holidays:

Inclusive Method: If your 28 days statutory leave includes bank holidays (typically 20 days + 8 bank holidays), you may not need to provide extra leave beyond the statutory minimum.

Additional Method: If bank holidays are provided in addition to statutory leave, you may be obligated to give employees an extra day off.

What You Need to Check

Review your employment contracts and policies to understand:

• Whether bank holidays are included within or additional to statutory minimum leave
• How "bank holidays" are defined in your documentation
• Any provisions for additional bank holidays during the leave year

The 2024-25 Complication

The next leave year (April 2024 to March 2025) will have no Good Friday, as it falls on 18 April 2025. This means you may need to manage varying entitlements across consecutive years.

Immediate Actions Required

1. Audit your contracts - Check exact wording around bank holiday provisions
2. Calculate the impact - Determine how many employees are affected
3. Consider alternatives - Explore carrying forward leave, payment in lieu, or flexible arrangements
4. Communicate clearly - Inform employees of your approach
5. Future-proof policies - Update terms to handle similar scenarios

Legal Risks

Failing to address this properly could result in breach of contract claims, unlawful deduction of wages issues, or Working Time Regulations breaches.

Bottom Line

Clear contractual wording around public holidays is essential. Review your obligations now, communicate your approach to employees, and consider updating policies to prevent similar issues in future. The cost of an extra day's leave is typically far less than the potential legal and reputational consequences of getting it wrong.

When in doubt, seek specialist employment law advice to ensure compliance and maintain positive employee relations.