Overview
When the setting “Restrict element to award entitlement for public holidays” is enabled, edays automatically calculates a user’s public holiday entitlement based on their FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) on the date of each public holiday.
This ensures public holiday entitlement is calculated fairly for:
- part-time employees,
- users with changing FTEs,
- and non-standard working patterns.
How is public holiday entitlement calculated?
edays reviews each public holiday individually and applies the user’s FTE that is active on that specific date.
For example:
- If a public holiday occurs while the user is at 1.0 FTE, the system awards 1 day
- If a public holiday occurs while the user is at 0.6 FTE, the system awards 0.6 days
The total entitlement is then added together across the holiday year.
Example Scenario
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Holiday year start | 1 February |
| Working pattern | Tuesday to Thursday |
| FTE before 05/05/2026 | 1.0 |
| FTE from 05/05/2026 | 0.6 |
In this example:
- 3 public holidays occur before the FTE change
- 4 public holidays occur after the FTE change
The entitlement calculation would be:
(3×1.0)+(4×0.6)
3+2.4=5.4 days
Depending on your system’s rounding rules, this may display as:
- 5.5 days, or
- 6 days
Why does the entitlement change in the following year?
If the employee remains at 0.6 FTE for the entire holiday year, all public holidays are calculated using 0.6 FTE.
For example:
7.5×0.6=4.5 days
Will they get this year on year?
- If their FTE and working pattern remain the same, and the number and distribution of public holidays do not change, then yes, they will continue to receive a similar entitlement each year (e.g., 4.5 days if that's the calculation for their pattern and FTE).
- However, if their FTE, working pattern, or the public holiday schedule changes, their entitlement will be recalculated accordingly. edays automatically recalculates for rota changes, public holiday changes (if dates move but the number in the year doesn't change), and FTE changes.
- If a new public holiday is added or their calendar year changes, manual adjustment may be required.
This is why a user may receive:
- a higher entitlement in the year their FTE changed, and
- a lower entitlement in future years when the reduced FTE applies for the full year.
Does the working pattern affect the calculation?
The working pattern affects:
- whether a public holiday is deducted,
- and how leave appears in the calendar.
However, the entitlement award itself is based on:
- the public holiday dates, and
- the user’s FTE on those dates.
Can these entitlements be edited manually?
No. When this setting is enabled:
- entitlement values are automatically calculated by edays,
- and manual editing is typically not available.
To ensure accurate calculations:
- public holidays must be configured correctly,
- and FTE changes must have the correct effective dates.
Best Practice
- reviewing your public holiday calendar annually,
- ensuring FTE changes are entered promptly,
- and checking entitlement rounding rules within your system configuration.