The King’s Coronation: an additional bank holiday

There is a one-off bank holiday on Monday 8th May 2023 to celebrate King Charles’ coronation. Are your staff entitled to an extra day’s paid holiday, and can they insist on taking it on 8th May?

The answer depends on the wording of your employment contracts. If, for example, your contracts say employees are entitled to 20 days’ paid holiday plus bank and public holidays then they will be entitled to an extra paid day’s holiday this year.

If instead their contracts say that they are entitled to 20 days’ paid holiday plus eight days’ bank and public holidays, then they will not be entitled to an extra paid day’s holiday. Similarly, if their contracts specify the total number of days (such as 28 days) without reference to bank holidays, then they are not entitled to an extra day’s holiday. and It is then entirely your decision whether to give them an extra day.

Separate from whether they are entitled to an extra day is whether they can insist on taking a day’s holiday specifically on 8th May (bearing in mind the coronation itself is on 6th May).

The short answer is ‘no’. Employers are allowed to refuse holiday requests for particular dates (subject to a few exceptions) but there is little an employer can do if the employee calls in sick on 8th May, unless they want to go down a disciplinary route.

Whilst many employees are not ‘entitled’ to this day off, this historic event will be celebrated across the country. Irrespective of legalities, you may feel like the best choice for your business is to allow the extra day’s paid annual holiday, and you may want to simply accept this cost as part of doing business.