An employment lawyer has warned Brits they could face the sack if they take a day off for the Queen’s funeral.
On Monday, September 19, Elizabeth II’s funeral will take place, watched by millions, as the country has a bank holiday.
But not all employers will be shutting down for the day and one employment solicitor has issued a warning for any Brits working in those companies, SurreyLive reported.
Alex Harper, a solicitor of Herrington Carmichael, warned that if you don’t have the day off Brits shouldn’t be tempted to skip work to watch the event.
She said there could be negative consequences especially if you haven’t been with your employer for too long.
She said: “If you are supposed to be working on the bank holiday if you simply don’t turn up you are in breach of your employment contract.
“It’s not likely that your employer would fire you immediately if you do that but you are almost certainly going to be in the territory of facing disciplinary action.
“For an employee who’s been there less than two years the potential could be that they are ultimately dismissed for failing to appear at work when they were contractually obliged to do so.
"They essentially don’t have any legal protection to a fair process or a fair reason for being dismissed.”
She said this would still apply even if you tried to “pull a sickie” on Monday and were caught out.
While bereavement leave to help grieve could be an option to get the day off this only usually extends to close family.
Employers also need to consider the pros and cons of opening on the bank holiday as well.
Ms Harper said a firm that closed for the Jubilee bank holiday would find it tricky to then open on the day of the Queen’s funeral as they had set a precedent.
She added: “I also think, as with all things, there’s a balancing act to be done here in terms of what you’re legally required to do and what morally and practically you should do as an employer."
