Thread: Christmas and New Year's Days deducted from holiday entitlement?!

Hi there.I have started a new job in retail and have received my contract accordingly. In relation to Public and Bank Holidays, it states that "Public Bank Holidays are classed as a normal working day. The only exception to this will be for Christmas Day and New Year's Day when the store will be closed. These two days will be classed as holiday taken and deducted from your annual entitlement."Having worked in retail for a few years, I have no problem with the hours involved, however is it legal to count Christmas day and New Years day as holidays taken when the store would not be opening anyway? Or is it just rather unfair?I have not had this with any previous employer in retail. Generally, these days were non-working days not affecting holiday entitlement as the store would not be opening, and Boxing Day and the 2nd January were classed as holiday if they were taken (in Scotland).Any help on this would be much appreciated, thank you!

Thanks Conniff. Just wasn't sure as I hadn't come across it anywhere else I've worked.

Just to confirm what Conniff has said this is what I got from ACAS's site...

Employers may choose to:

•

shut down for certain periods during which all or some groups of workers
have to use their annual holiday entitlement

•

nominate particular dates as days of closure, when workers are expected to take annual leave (for example, over the Christmas and New Year period)

So as long as it's made clear in the contract then it's perfectly legal...but of course a damn disgrace and downright miserly!