How to handle your staff absence

With an extra bank holiday coming up next month, the National Hair and Beauty Federation (NHBF) share everything you need to know on handling staff absence.

King Charles III’s coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London. The government announced an extra bank holiday across the UK on Monday 8 May to mark the occasion.

Many salons and barbershop employees may want to take the day off to celebrate with friends and family, as the whole of the UK are being encouraged to hold Celebration Big Lunch street parties.

Employee entitlement for bank holidays

In the UK, by law, employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave. This means employees who work five days a week should get at least 28 days paid annual leave. Employers can choose to include bank holidays as part of their employees’ ’28 days’ holiday entitlement. For example, England usually has eight bank holidays a year, including Christmas, Easter, and the May bank holidays. These would therefore be included in the total ’28 days’ holiday.

One thing to remember is that employees are not legally entitled to take off public holidays (including Christmas day) as paid leave.

Sick leave

Over-celebrating can result in absenteeism. Ensure you have clear sick leave procedures in place to avoid any confusion. The NHBF’s ready-to-use employment contracts and staff handbooks (free to NHBF Members) set out what your employees should do if they cannot come to work due to illness:

• Call you or their manager by phone (not text) no later than 30 minutes after they should have started work
• Let you know why they need to be off and how long they expect to be off for
• Call each day with an update unless you have agreed otherwise
• Complete a ‘self-certification’ sickness absence form on their return to work

NHBF Members can access the guide to recruiting, and employing people guide at www.nhbf.co.uk/advice-and-resources/

Not a member? Join the largest trade body for the hair and beauty industry. Quote HJN25 before the end of April 2023 to receive a £25 discount on your membership fee at www.nhbf.co.uk/join/