What Employment Rights Do Bank Staff Have? | The UK Careers Fair (2024)

Knowing your employment rights should be a top priority when entering the job market.

There are numerous resources available to both employed and self-employed individuals. But what about bank staff? What employment rights do bank staff have?

In this post, we'll look at what it means to be a bank worker and what their workplace rights are.

What Are Bank Staff?

The term "bank staff" refers to workers who can be contacted by an employer when the need arises. Bank staff members are prevalent in the care industry and other sectors where work is seasonal. Usually, those who decide to work as bank staff do so to be able to work on a very flexible basis.

This way, they can enjoy more time with family and friends without worrying about losing their employment status.

What Rights Do Bank Staff Have?

Unfortunately, bank staff do not get to enjoy the security of a permanent position. However, they still have rights such as a national minimum wage and statutory sick pay:

National Minimum Wage

The National Minimum Wage applies to all workers, even if they are on a zero-hour contract.

There are five rates:

1. Apprentice
2. Under 18
3. 18 to 20
4. 21 to 22
5. 23 and over

Every business must pay the minimum wage – no exceptions allowed.

Therefore, when you apply to work as bank staff, you should ensure their rates reflect the current rates stated on the government website.

Statutory Sick Pay

Statutory Sick Pay is a benefit for workers who have been employed by the same employer for more than four days in succession and meet certain criteria. Currently, all workers must earn a minimum of £120 per week to qualify for Statutory Sick Pay.

Workers who qualify for SSP can receive £96.35 from their employer for a maximum of 28 weeks. Use this SSP Calculator to determine how much you may be entitled to.

Holiday leave

Bank staff have the right to paid annual leave, but the exact number of days they can claim will depend on how many hours they work.

For example, if a worker works full time (30 hours or more per week), they are entitled to 5.6 weeks holiday (equivalent to 28 days). If a worker only works part-time, their entitlement will be pro-rated based on the number of hours worked each week.

Rest breaks

Workers have a right to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes if they work 6 hours or more in a day. A worker should be able to leave their workstation for the duration of a break and should not be made to work during that time.

Rest breaks are usually unpaid unless there is a contractual agreement with the employer. However, many employers provide a break allowance as an additional benefit.

Conclusion

Just like all other workers, bank staff have employment rights that protect them from unfair treatment. Joining a business as bank staff can give you a lot of flexibility, making it the ideal employment choice for students, busy parents, etc.

So, if you are considering going down the bank work route, you can rest assured that you will still be able to enjoy a fair payment and various other rights.