As the UK enters a month with three bank holidays, nearly three-quarters of UK workers are in favour of flexible bank holidays, new research has shown.
The poll, by Bristol-based energy firm OVO, found that 72% of workers would prefer flexibility about whether they took bank holidays off, with many feeling that this would better enable them to attend family events as well as enjoy cultural and religious festivals.
More than half of respondents (51%) said their top reason is to be able to make other special occasions such as weddings, while over a third (34%) would use the time off for religious and cultural events. Another third (31%) said they would use it to save money for foreign travel.
Of all the bank holidays, UK workers said they wanted to swap out the late May spring bank holiday (29 May) the most.
Bank holidays and annual leave
More than half of UK professionals told the researches that their employer had rowed back on some of their flexible working policies, with nearly three quarters (74%) disagreeing with their employer’s changes. Two thirds of employees believed this had negatively impacted on their job satisfaction (66%) and more than a half said it had detracted from their motivation at work (59%).
OVO said its aim internally was to create a work environment where employees could balance various aspects of their lives “with no rigid expectations”. The firm’s stated aim is for flexible working to create “an environment of inclusivity, giving people from different faiths and backgrounds the opportunity to practise their beliefs how and when they wish”.
To this end, OVO offers benefits such as: unlimited compassionate leave; “recharge leave”, whereby employees can take extra paid leave after exceptional busy periods; and “moments that matter” leave, which is designed to ensure that employees never have to choose between work “and the most important moments in life”.
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Charlotte Eaton, OVO’s chief people officer, said that the energy firm understood that “fixed Bank Holidays don’t work for everyone. Our community can choose to take their flexible Bank Holiday on a different day if they prefer – this might be to celebrate their own faith and beliefs, attend a special event, or to simply enjoy their annual leave when the sun is shining. We’ve aimed to make our offering as progressive as possible, putting our people first so they can make the choice that works for them and their families.”
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