Fun fact. Easter is a moveable feast with its date being determined as the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.

But why does that matter for employers?

Annual leave years are not always standardised, and the way you structure your leave year can impact both your business and your employees. For instance, if your leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March, there might be instances when the number of bank holidays falling within a given leave year is reduced. This could result in non-compliance with the statutory holiday entitlement, which is a minimum of 28 days.

This issue arises if you offer bank holidays in addition to the standard leave entitlement. For example, let's say you provide 20 days of leave plus 8 bank holidays, which adds up to 28 days in total - meeting the statutory minimum. However, if a bank holiday like Easter falls on the boundary between two leave years, your leave year may end up being "short" on bank holidays. This could mean your employees' holiday entitlement doesn’t fully meet the legal requirements.

To avoid this, it’s important to regularly review your leave year structure and contracts, especially in relation to the calendar. If the way you schedule annual leave means employees might end up with one less day than they are legally entitled to, be sure to address the issue. Communicate with your employees and ensure they are granted the additional day to stay compliant.