15th December 2006, 12:24 AM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by drpeterwardle
...my understanding is that the term "statutory holidays" currently means the 20 day holidays people are entitled to by law. This is not to be confused with "public holidays which are days such as Christmas Day. Being allowed to take public holidays off is a matter for individual contracts as is being given public holidays as extra paid leave.
However, where the Fixed Term Employees Regulations (Prevention Of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 apply a worker on a fixed term contract has the right to be treated equally to other employees in the company. I understand this to mean that if paid bank holidays are granted to 'regular' employees, then fixed term contract staff are entitled to the same.
We have been over this before on BAJR. I well remember one of my mails getting censored, when I was critical of a BAJR advertiser who stated on the open forum that they pursued a policy of granting lesser employement benefits to fixed term staff than to 'regular' employees.
You are entitled under the FTER legislation to a statement in writing of your employment rights, providing that you are employed for 1 month or longer (although strangely your employer has up to 8 weeks in which to provide it). You are also entitled to a written explanation of why you have been excluded from an employment benefit (such as paid Bank Holidays) if that benefit is extended to other employees. The written reasons for your exclusion from an employee beefit can form the basis for an Industrial Tribunal case, where the employer can be asked to justify the grounds for an exclusion.