Licensing@aol.com

Part-timers' holiday pay

QCan you tell me how many hours a bar-person has to work before being entitled to holiday pay? We are having a debate about one particular worker who only works 13 hours a week.

AThere is still a basic misunderstanding in the trade about employment issues, and an assumption that somehow the "normal" rules do not apply. This is not right. There is now no such thing as a "part-time" employee in terms of their rights to be treated on the same basis as regular staff.

Of course they do not work as long or earn as much, but that is by agreement. They must be paid at the same rate as other staff for similar work, on a pro-rata basis, and are entitled to the same conditions with regard to notice, holidays and holiday pay.

Their working week will be much shorter, and therefore the minimum paid holiday period of four weeks will consist of four periods of 13 hours in the case of your employee. But it is a legal obligation to give paid holiday to all workers and you cannot choose which staff have these rights.

Getting the measure of liqueurs

QAre brandy and liqueurs covered by weights and measures laws? Do we have to serve them in the same measures as we use for gin and whisky?

ANeither brandy nor liqueurs are covered by the specific legislation on spirit measures, which only applies to the four named spirits — gin, rum, vodka and whisky.

It is a legal requirement not only to serve these in stated measures (normally either 25ml or 35ml) but to have a notice available for customers to read giving the details of what measures are in use.

In certain cases, particularly using thimble measures, the measurement must be made in the sight of the customer.

Clearly, different types of the named spirits, such as white rum or speciality whiskies, must be served in accordance with the law. But other spirits and liqueurs can be served in a measure of the licensee's choosing.

That being said, it is important from the point of view of stock control to have some form of fixed measure for these drinks.

Bar staff need to be instructed on which measure to use and trained to know about relevant hygiene practices where multiple spirits are involved.