Options
What is Next Monday all About?
Magic Cottage
Posts: 2,698 Forum Member
✭✭✭
I have been surprised by the number of people who have said to me over the last couple of days that it has been great to have the Christmas break to get away from it for a few days (if, of course, you have been that lucky - many no longer get such breaks) but what the hell is next Monday all about?
We are all out partying or doing whatever on Friday Night/Saturday morning. This then leaves the rest of Saturday and Sunday to recover. Why do we need Monday as well? The country is supposedly struggling to creep out of recession. Do we really need such a bank holiday?
We are all out partying or doing whatever on Friday Night/Saturday morning. This then leaves the rest of Saturday and Sunday to recover. Why do we need Monday as well? The country is supposedly struggling to creep out of recession. Do we really need such a bank holiday?
0
Comments
How did we cope in the 70's with a 3 day week.:eek:
I get a couple of weeks off anyway but it would seem unfair for workers to have to class their unpaid weekends as time off for Christmas.
You do realise how bank holidays work?
It's the same amount of time off that we normally get (well, it's two days longer for me, but that's because I normally work Saturdays) - it's just with Christmas and New Year falling on Saturday's it seems longer.
I do and I have, thank you. It doesn't change my opinion in those few minutes about whether we really need Monday as a bank holiday.
If we didnt have one you'd be complaining.
Why are people never happy?
Many other countries went back to work on Monday - most stock exchanges in Europe were trading for example, and it looked ridiculous for our markets to be closed for two days when everywhere else was open as usual.
I'd suggest that the obvious solution would be to say that when Christmas and New Year fall at the weekend, the holidays should not simply be moved to the next weekday, but an extra day could be taken at any time within a specified period. Many people must be sitting around twiddling their thumbs, just wishing that they could get on with their work now and then take the time off when it suits them better.
So what should happen when Christmas and Boxing Day falls either on a Thursday Friday or a Monday Tuesday?
I think the real problem is not Christmas but New Year, which comes along so quickly after Christmas. Most people probably don't mind a few days off at Christmas, even if they are not really people who take a lot of notice of the event itself. New Year's Day used to be a normal working day in England & Wales, but now we have this rather silly scenario where people are just sitting around waiting to get back to normal.
I'd suggest one possibility which might work would be to turn the Friday before New Year into the official holiday when Jan 1st falls on either Saturday or Sunday.
Which would give us exactly the same amount of time off as we have now, as Friday isn't a bank holiday (personally I'm not working, but Mr AK and many others are).
And you are honestly happy about losing a days holiday every time a bank holiday is at a weekend?
So instead of having Saturday, Sunday and Monday off we will have Friday, Saturday and Monday?;)
Maybe people could have the option to return to work earlier and take the time off later in the year with some companies who would rather open.
You know it used to be normal to have Christmas and Boxing Day off with such as retail..............heck it used to be normal for Sunday to be a day when retail didn't function. Good thing or bad thing? I'm not sure myself
One thing that has got my goat and that is solicitors closing from Christmas Eve until next Tuesday, now that is for personal reasons and who am I to call people having the whole Christmas off
We have every January 3rd 2011 off, so this 2011, will be no different to any other 2011.
Please learn about our every January 3rd 2011 day off which we call the January 3rd 2011 day off.
Because that is how it works! And yes we do need Monday off!
Would those be the same European countries that already get more bank holidays than us?
It looks ridiculous for our stock market to be closed when others are open? Not really, I don't see us complaining and sniggering when other countries take a bank holiday on their national saints day, the day marking the birth of their monarch or an important battle in their history.
Have a look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_holidays_by_country#Albania
People are not robots and need time away from work, bank holidays, even if they're not taken on the day, are still given as part of peoples allowance. If it really bothers you that much, no one is forcing you to use your legally alloted amount of annual leave. Just make sure you leave 8 days at the end of the year to give back to your employee - or go to work on the bank holiday itself - might be a waste of time but if your boss doesn't mind go for it.
You could always help out the economy by going shopping if your that bothered or are you waiting for VAT to go up so you can contribute more?
**Edit to add - Just looking at Japans list (now there's some hard workers!) and I love their reasons for their public holidays - a 'coming of age day' to celebrate everybody who turns 20 that year and a day when they celebrate their elderly. I think we should adopt those 2!