HOLIDAY LEAVE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 25 November 1938, Page 3

HOLIDAY LEAVE

NEW YEAR PERIOD POSITION UNDER AWARDS Many employees take their annual leave over the Christmas and New Year Periods, and in view of the fact that next Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Sundays and are observed by law on the following Mondays, questions have arisen regarding days that are not counted in the leave period, states the Auckland “Herald.” Some awards provide for the observance of 2nd January as a holiday. Others make this provision with a further proviso of a holiday on 3rd Janu-

ary, when New Year’s Day falls on a Synday. There are also awards in which no holiday is stipulated for 2nd January. Where there is no provision for the shifting forward of a holiday to 3rd January when New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, and is observed on 2nd January, a judgment of the Court by Mr Justice Frazer relating to the hairdresser assistants’ award appears to govern the position. He held that where New Year’s Day and 2nd January both fall on 2nd January, the two holidays merge in one and are observed on the same day. Shop assistants are specially covered in their award for holidays on both 2nd and 3rd January in view of the fact that New Year’s Day will be observed on 2nd January. As the clerical assistants’ award does not cover this situation, it is considered by many employers that 2nd January, New Year’s Day, is the only day in the New Year week that has to be taken into consideration when the annual leave under the award is spread over the period.