The Government has said that schools will be closed.
There is no statutory obligation on employers to give their staff an extra day’s leave for this bank holiday. Nor is there any obligation on employers to allow their staff to take 19 September 2022 as leave.
It is important that practices consider their position carefully. Practices should check their staff contracts of employment. The BDA model contract provides a holiday entitlement inclusive of public holidays. However, if your contracts of employment say, for example, staff are entitled to four weeks’ paid leave plus bank holidays, you may have to pay staff for the additional day.
It would be sensible for practices to speak to their staff. Some will understand that staff may need to be at home to look after children if schools are closing. They may choose to give their staff an extra day’s paid leave. Some staff may be happy to work and some may not wish to work. An option may be for the practice to remain open, but on reduced staffing and fewer appointments.
Practices may wish to close the practice on 19 September 2022, but ask staff to take the day as part of their existing annual leave entitlement.
Patients may assume that dental practices will be closed and so practices may also wish to consider whether patients want to still attend their appointments. It would be a sensible idea to contact these patients to ask about their intentions.
There is unlikely to be any reduction in NHS targets for England and Wales to take account of the bank holiday.
BDA advisory services are happy to help answer additional questions from Extra and Expert members. Please note that our offices will be closed on this day.
NHS Contractual Obligations - England and Wales
The majority of dental practices in England and Wales will have the contractual right to close their practices on bank holidays if they wish to close. However, practices are not obliged to close. This is the provision of the standard contract but not all contracts contain this provision so if you are at all unsure do check your contract.