Bank Holiday Working Introduced - Unsecured Financial Assistance (UFA)
Having tried unsuccessfully for several years to resource its business by volunteers on premium pay rates, Unsecured Financial Assistance has decided to open on selected bank holidays from 2023 onwards.
The business says this is because they’ve seen an increase in the number of unsecured customers who need issues resolved on bank holidays.
The resources required are likely to be significantly lower than a normal working day which will allow more staff to book these days as holiday.
Although opening times will be restricted to 9am – 5pm, they will treat these bank holidays as normal working days and will not pay any premium to colleagues who must work them.
Accord does not support this position. We firmly believe that enhanced payments should be offered to anyone whose employment is being changed in this way. Even though we’ve rejected the proposal, the business can still press ahead with this change. We managed to push implementation back from this year to next – so there’s a lot more notice. But, even so, this remains an unwelcome change.
BFA colleagues, who transitioned to CFA in December 2021, will not be compelled to work BHs in 2023, based on a commitment they were given at the time of transfer. Whether that will remain the case for 2024 is uncertain at this time.
Secured Financial Assistance will not open on bank holidays
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