Influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy has launched a flexible bank holiday policy this week, in order to support its multi-faith workforce.
The initiative allows its 130 employees to exchange existing UK bank holidays, largely based on Christian tradition, in order to observe religious celebrations or events of their choice, including Easter, Passover and Eid, which take place next month.
The aim of the policy is to create a more inclusive working culture that recognises diverse religious holidays, as the eight bank holidays that the UK typically celebrates in a calendar year are Christian holidays, such as Easter and Christmas.
The bank holiday arrangement was added to an existing flexible working policy, which accommodates part-time employment and flexible start and end times around the core hours of 10am to 4pm. Billion Dollar Boy also provides flexibility for those who are fasting for religious purposes, including supporting employees with improved flexible remote working allowances.
According to Billion Dollar Boy, the aim of introducing these policies was to improve employee motivation, reduce stress and enable employees to pursue other priorities, including religious commitments. It also has an ongoing cultural awareness training programme that brings in external experts to raise awareness around all faiths and cultures, to create a tolerant and inclusive workforce.
Sadie Joy, people director at Billion Dollar Boy, said: “We recognise how important diversity is to our business success. Diverse businesses are proven to be more productive, more resilient and more resourceful. And so it is up to businesses to create an environment that embraces diversity with inclusive policies that proactively support all faiths and walks of life.
“Launching the flexible bank holidays policy was therefore a no-brainer, but not something we’ve seen widely across the industry and beyond. In the UK, a country which has historically prioritised Christian working practices and culture, it’s time to reassess how we observe non-Christian religious celebrations and facilitate employees to celebrate them in a fair and equitable way.”