But will schools close and does your employer have to give you time off? Will schools close? Schools will be closed on September 19 so staff and students can mark the historic occasion. It is possible that some schools will remain open with limited childcare capacity if their parents have been unable to take time off from work. Does my employer have to give me the leave? No. There is no legal requirement for employers to give staff the day off on a public holiday. That said, the government said the bank holiday “will be a unique national moment and we will encourage employers to respond sensitively to requests from employees who wish to take time off”. “The Government cannot interfere with existing contractual arrangements between employers and employees. However, we would expect that many employees will be able to take bank holiday time off,” he added. If I work on a holiday, can I have another day off to take another day off? This is a matter for discussion between workers and their employer, the government says. The funeral of King George VI in 1952 Credits: PA Is a monarch’s funeral always a holiday? No. King George VI’s funeral was not a public holiday, nor was Sir Winston Churchill’s in 1965 – the last time there was a state funeral in the UK Will this bank holiday become an annual tradition? There are no plans to make this bank holiday an annual tradition. It is also unclear whether there will be a bank holiday to mark the coronation of King Charles III – a decision will be made in the coming months.
