Councillors considered the matter at the Full Council meeting on 26 March and decided not to designate 15 June as a bank holiday for council staff.
This means Monday 15 June will be a normal working day for employees across all council services.
In reaching this decision, the council noted that granting the bank holiday would have created a significant one-day unfunded cost to cover lost productivity, staffing of essential services, and lost revenue through the closure of other council services on that day.
Dumfries and Galloway Council’s stance aligns with most Scottish local authorities, who have chosen to continue normal operations on 15 June due to financial and operational considerations.
This decision is not a reflection of a lack of enthusiasm for Scotland’s World Cup campaign. The council shares the pride and excitement of the community in seeing our national team reach the World Cup finals after 28 years.
We encourage staff and residents to enjoy the tournament in their own way on the Sunday and during off-hours.
In fact, the council’s Licensing Board has (conditionally) approved an extension of opening hours for local pubs and licensed venues during key World Cup matches, so that fans can watch late-night games in community settings.