What's the point of Monday public holidays?

I

ivuernis

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Over the May weekend I was thinking what's the point of Monday public holidays, how much of a benefit are they? They're just like another Sunday, most shops, etc. are still open, public transport operates on a Sunday schedule, some people are off and some are still working. I'd much prefer to have an extra weeks holiday leave which I could use at my own discretion over the course of the year rather than the mandated public holidays on Easter Monday and the May, June, August and October weekends. Am I missing something fundamental here?
 
Public holidays are one of the few times myself and my other half get to be off at the same time. It can be difficult to co-ordinate the annual leave rotas for our seperate workplaces and his work is particularly restrictive about when can be taken off. With public/bank holidays at least we have a few days a year we don't have to beg/plead/swap shifts just to get a few days off at the same time!!
 
The_Banker said:
Anyone know the difference between a Public Holiday and a Bank Holiday?
Or is there one?
Click to expand...

From Wikipedia: "A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, other European countries such as Switzerland, and a colloquialism for a public holiday in Ireland"

P.S. Given your username, The Banker, I thought you would have already known this ;-)
 
hfp said:
Public holidays are one of the few times myself and my other half get to be off at the same time. It can be difficult to co-ordinate the annual leave rotas for our seperate workplaces and his work is particularly restrictive about when can be taken off. With public/bank holidays at least we have a few days a year we don't have to beg/plead/swap shifts just to get a few days off at the same time!!
Click to expand...

That I can understand. However, this is more down to the inflexibility of your partner's employer and lots of people still work on public holidays. To me, public holidays just seem to be a bit of an anachronism and the time given over to them could be better utilised by the majority of people if they had an extra weeks annual leave instead.
 
One thing I found interesting is that part time employees who don't normally work on a Monday (maybe they work Tuesday-Thursday each week for instance) are entitled to either one fifth of their pay or the same entitlement in paid leave for each bank holiday. In hindsight it makes perfect sense but I wasn't aware of it and it may be useful for others to know of so passing it on.
 
The_Banker said:
Anyone know the difference between a Public Holiday and a Bank Holiday?
Or is there one?
Click to expand...

I consider Good Friday a bank holiday as it's not one of the listed days but a lot of office workers seem to be off.

I was told that years ago the bank staff were at work but not open to the public. Don't know if there's any truth to it though.

I get it off myself but would much prefer to work and get the day another way.
 
I would disagree with you ivuernis, there is a community element to a public holiday which provides a social good in elevating people's mood and increasing their engagement with others. Also an agreed schedule of extended weekends allows many people to plan breaks with a degree of certainty. As for your point about why you can't take them when you want to, talk to people who do work bank holiday weekends. While some do so strategically (as you can get a day in lieu) for many it feels like a bit of a drudge when others are enjoying a national day off and they have to work. Communal holidays have a strong history dating back to antiquity, they are part and parcel of living in community.
 
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