Editorial: ​Public holidays are popular but society pays if there are too many of them

When the much loved late Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her platinum jubilee last year, the UK was given a public holiday. Barely a person complained. The next year, ie this year, after her death, we were given another public holiday, for the coronation of King Charles. Again, barely a person complained – not even opponents of the monarchy.

The contraction of working hours over the centuries and the increase in holidays has been one of the advances of civilisation. Little more than a century ago it was common for people to start work in their early teens, to work six days a week for fifty plus years, to get two weeks holiday at most, and to die before they got to an age at which they got a pension. Almost no-one would want a return to such a grim working culture, although most people would want people who love their work to be free to put in such hours if that is their wish.

The rise in the number of holidays comes at a price, however. New data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the UK economy contracted in May after the coronation holiday. The reason is simple: sectors including construction and finance lost a working day in the month.

The rise in holiday time is often accompanied by a rise in sick leave entitlement. It is not unusual in the public sector in Northern Ireland for employees to be entitled to a very generous six weeks of holiday a year and 12 paid public holidays and to work in departments that average 10 or more days of sick leave per employee per year.

There is always a balance between the needs of organisations and the needs of workers. The former are not run for the benefit of the latter. Every time an extra day’s holiday is granted in the NHS, for example, waiting lists fall further behind.

We all need holidays but society as a whole also needs many services.