A number of supermarkets have announced that they will shut its stores next week to mark the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Aldi, and Morrisons are set to shut on Monday, September 19, when the late monarch's funeral will take place at 11am. A spokesperson for the John Lewis Partnership, which runs Waitrose and John Lewis, said both brands will shut their doors for the day, the Mirror reports.
The spokesperson added: "When full details of the funeral are confirmed, an exception may be a very limited number of Waitrose stores on the route of the funeral procession to serve members of the public who we know will be lining the route for many hours. These shops will, however, close for the funeral itself."
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John Lewis Partnership chief operating officer Andrew Murphy said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen. We will be closing our stores on the day of her funeral as a mark of respect, and because we believe this is the right thing to do for our Partners and customers."
Aldi also announced they will be closing their stores on the day of the funeral with the chain tweeting it will not be opening next Monday as a mark of respect and to allow store colleagues to "pay their respects."
The Queen's funeral has been officially declared a Bank Holiday for the UK, meaning many people could well be off work. Spokespeople for Asda and Tesco said the stores are still deciding what to do. However, the Government is advising that it’s not as simple as one might think.
New guidance from authorities confirms that each employer needs to make their own decision on whether or not they will give staff the day off. It was announced on Saturday that the late monarch's funeral will take place at 11am on Monday, September 19.
Already it has been confirmed that schools will close for the funeral, so many working parents will be hoping they can get time off to look after their little ones, and also remember Her Majesty.
The guidance also says staff should speak with their bosses about if they will get a day’s holiday in lieu if they do work the funeral date. That’s the same policy for overtime rates, the government says, and reclaiming annual leave days if it is granted as a free day off by your employer.
Her Majesty will lie in state for four days before the funeral, in Westminster Hall, and from there, the funeral procession will travel to Westminster Abbey. Her final resting place will be St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
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