week on week off holiday entitlement

[mmmduff1]

Hi all. I work a week on week off shift pattern. 8 to 4 Monday to Friday and on call the rest of the time. I get 14 days holiday. Working bank holiday etc if it is my shift week. I share my job with 1 other person, who covers me when I take holiday and vice versa. We don't however get paid extra to do this. Is this correct? Technically we aren't getting any holiday as we cover each others holiday days. I am aware of other people in the company who get paid over time for the same situation.

[SPQR]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

If you are working a week-on week-off shift pattern then you are effectively working 26 weeks a year, so your holiday entitlement is 14 days per year.

You are not entitled to extra pay for covering each others holidays (unless your contract says so). Nor are you entitled to extra pay if asked to work bank holidays (unless your contract says so).

Your situation is complicated by the fact that you are on call:
- You are not entitled to any holiday due to the fact that you are on call (if you're not working)
- You are entitled to holiday if you get called into work whilst on call.

To calculate your holiday entitlement for any work you do on call use the holiday entitlement calculator (www.gov.uk/calculate-your-holiday-entitlement) using the annualised hours calculation. For example (using the calculator), if you get called in on your week off and do 8 hours, you will then be entitled to 57 minutes extra holiday.

Hope that helps - Liam

[teaboy2]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

Your not entitled to extra payment for working bank holidays where said bank holiday falls under your normal shift. I.e. you were due to work monday regardless as to if it was a bank holiday or not.

Only time you may be eligible to extra payment is if your contract states so, or if you have been asked to work bank holiday when you would not have been due to work said day, and is therefore in addition to your usually days or hours of work.

[mmmduff1]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

Thanks for both your replies. So the fact that i basically give back my holiday by working when my colleague is on holiday doesnt count for anything?

[teaboy2]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

How do you mean give back your holiday? Do you mean you work additional shift or days other than the ones you usually work in order to cover your colleagues when they are on holiday? Are you not paid extra for those extra hours that you work in addition to your own contracted hours? Are you on a salary or an hourly rate?

[SPQR]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

My understanding of your situation is as follows (please correct my assumptions if I'm wrong):

1. You work 8 hour days, one-week on, one week-off. So you work 26 weeks a year. For this you are entitled to 14 days holiday.

2. Then you additionally do 14 days work as holiday cover a year (on what should be your week off)? And you want to know if you are entitled to anything for this?

[mmmduff1]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

Spqr. Thats correct

[mmmduff1]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

Teaboy. I dont get any extra for covering the 14 days.

[SPQR]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

Spqr. Thats correct

Okay. In response to your question: am I entitled to anything extra for those 14 extra days I work?

You are entitled to be paid for these 14 extra days you are working. To advise properly I would need to know what you contract says about how you are paid. For example:
- If you are on an annual salary: your contract will state whether these extra 14 days are included as part of your annual salary.
- If you are paid per hour you work: you are entitled to be paid your base hourly pay for these 14 extra days (but not entitled to extra pay at a higher rate).

You are not entitled to any extra holiday for these 14 extra days you are working.

Hope that helps - Liam

[Technically you are entitled to additional holiday entitlement (of approx just over one and a half days). But practically if both you and your job share partner take this additional holiday, you will then end up working additional hours to cover the absence of your partner on his holiday. Practically this means you would end up working the same number of hours anyway.]

[mmmduff1]

Re: week on week off holiday entitlement

Ok thanks. Ill take a look at my contract.