Britons have been given a Bank Holiday on Monday, September 19, to mark Queen Elizabeth II's passing. The Queen died "peacefully" on Thursday afternoon (September 8) at the age of 96 at her Balmoral Castle residency in Aberdeenshire, bringing an end to her 70-year reign.
The date of her funeral has since been declared a national bank holiday. The Government says this will allow people, businesses, and other organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty while marking the final day of the period of national mourning.
This bank holiday will take place across the whole of the United Kingdom and will work in the same way as other bank holidays. Workers have no statutory entitlement to time off for it, as employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement.
Read more: How you can leave your tributes to the Queen in our online book of condolence
So what will it mean for shops and supermarkets? Most businesses and many shops are expected to close as well, as is the case with other bank holidays.
However, the right to a bank holiday day off is not automatic and some workplaces will be open. The Government says it encourages "employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take time off".
On many other bank holidays, some shops have decided to close while others have reverted to Sunday trading or reduced hours. Announcements should be expected to be made by individual employers.
A post on gov.uk reads: “This is a matter for discussion between individuals and their employer. There is no statutory entitlement to time off for bank holidays, but employers may include bank holidays as part of a worker’s leave entitlement.
"The Government cannot interfere in existing contractual arrangements between employers and workers. However, we would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday."
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