Why you could be sacked for taking the day off for the Queen's funeral

Thinking of pulling a sickie on Monday to mourn the Queen? Well, if you do, you could be putting your job at serious risk.

Herrington Carmichael solicitor Alex Harper reckons that if you take Monday off - and your employer isn't recognising the public holiday - you could find yourself in serious hot water.

The employment lawyer has warned people against trying to take the day off if their employer hasn't declared a shut-down... especially if you haven’t been with your employer for too long.

"If you are supposed to be working on the bank holiday if you simply don’t turn up you are in breach of your employment contract," she said, as per The Mirror.

UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

"For an employee who’s been there less than two years the potential could be that they are ultimately dismissed for failing to appear at work when they were contractually obliged to do so."

She added: "They essentially don’t have any legal protection to a fair process or a fair reason for being dismissed."

She added that, in some cases, it is 'not likely that your employer would fire you immediately' but people that take the day off are 'almost certainly going to be in the territory of facing disciplinary action'.

She added this also applies if you call in sick and get caught out as, well, faking it.

But, as they say, it's only a crime if you get caught. Of course, we are joking and you should not put yourself at risk of being fired.

Let's use our common sense here, people.

But, if you're really hanging for a day off, Ms Harper did drop a hint as to how you can get around this tricky public holiday thing.

She said that while bereavement leave usually only extends to close family, it could be an option to get the day off.

PA Images / Alamy

She added: "I also think, as with all things, there’s a balancing act to be done here in terms of what you’re legally required to do and what morally and practically you should do as an employer."

But, if you've secured the day off to tune in to the broadcast of the Queen's funeral, you're going to join what is predicted to be the most watched television broadcast of all time.

Industry experts have suggested that more than half of the world's population could tune in.

Following the news that the monarch had died aged 96, the date for her funeral was set to take place at Westminster Abbey on September 19 at 11:00am local time.

Topics: UK News, News, The Queen

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist