Council workers could be given an extra day’s holiday to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee next summer.
The UK Government has already announced plans to make Friday, 3 June 2022, an extra Bank Holiday.
Councillors in Midlothian will this week be asked to approve the date as an additional day off for workers and move the UK May Bank Holiday weekend to Thursday, June 2.
The council says the move will provide council staff with “a four-day weekend to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee”.
Queen Elizabeth will celebrate her 70th anniversary on the throne in June next year – the first time any monarch has reached the historic milestone.
Plans are already under way to mark the occasion, with the Royal Household and UK Government jointly arranging events.
A report to councillors this week by Kevin Anderson, executive director, will recommend they consider introducing the additional public holiday and create the long weekend for workers to enjoy the celebrations.
He says: “The four-day celebrations will feature an extensive programme of events that mix the best of British ceremonial splendour and pageantry with cutting-edge artistic and technological displays.
“These will be interspersed with the traditional nationwide fanfare and celebrations.”
The cost of an additional public holiday is estimated at around £150,000 per day.
Mr Anderson said: “An employee working on a public holiday will receive the appropriate overtime rate for all hours worked on the public holiday, regardless of the hours worked in the week.
“At this point, an initial assessment has been made of the additional paybill costs associated with designating or granting an additional public holiday and these are estimated at circa £150,000 per day, which would need to be provided for in the 2021/22 budget as an additional pressure.”
Members will take a decision on the holiday this week.
by Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency : funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
