I don’t normally cross-post, but I thought this might be interesting to some readers over here as well.
I’ve been reading Penelope Trunk for about 6 months and her insight into both life and work are fascinating.
A few days ago she teed off on Christmas in the workplace. I’m just guessing, but I think she’s Jewish, from her comments and references to Hannukah. Not that that means anything other than that she doesn’t feel any particular affinity with Christmas. But it is important to set that context.
It took me a minute to get over her calls for the removal of Christmas as a Statutory holiday, on the grounds of the multicultural nature of the workplace in America.  At first I was kind of offended, with all the secularist calls that have been getting louder in recent years. But after reflection, I thought her ideas actually have a significant amount of merit. I think that establishing a fixed number of floating holidays for each employee is a really good idea, especially in view of how the statutory holidays are structured in the States.
It is my understanding, for example, that Americans get Christmas Day off, but not Boxing Day. They also get Good Friday off, but not Easter Monday. But they get two days off for Thanksgiving, whereas Canadians only get one.
Now, I think having two days for Christmas rather than Thanksgiving makes more sense, as it means more time with the kids to play with toys, but that’s me. In terms of religious holidays, I would much rather take the Friday and Monday off for Easter than Christmas, because really as far as Christianity goes, Easter is a much more significant holiday. (I could also get into the reality that Jesus was crucified not on Friday, but on Thursday, but that is a whole other issue.)
Still, I think for everyone, it makes more sense to simply establish a mandated, say, 12 floating holidays per year for every employee. It might even make more sense to just do away with statutory holidays altogether and replace it with a mandated minimum vacation for everyone. I believe the current minimum is 2 weeks vacation a year - change the government reg to remove the requirement for statutory holidays, but mandate a minimum of 4 weeks’ vacation a year, 2 weeks of which are ineligible for carryover. This would then mean that people would have to take a minimum of 2 weeks a year holidays, meeting health and safety questions, but people could bank the rest.
From what I have seen about vacations and stress reductions, it makes more sense to do things this way anyways. What the current stat holiday model does is encourage employees to take “long weekends†all over the calendar, which accomplish exactly zero in terms of stress reduction. From what I have read, a person receives no benefit in terms of their health or stress levels until they have been away from their work for more than a week. In other words, a week-long vacation nets you zero. A 9 day vacation only begins to benefit you.
So, for health reasons, and also for diversity reasons, this seems like a good idea. Now, what am I missing? Why is there not broader support for such an idea? I can see all the major parties getting behind it… unless there is another reason why stat holidays are there.
Scott from Winnipeg wrote:
Interesting thoughts Shane.
Posted on 04-Dec-07 at 6:21 pm | Permalink
jmorrison wrote:
yea might as well get rid of our history, culture, religion and anything else that offends anyone else. what the hell why don’t we all just kill ourselves and get it over with.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 7:50 am | Permalink
Charles Anthony wrote:
Well, for starters, you never considered how much holidays cost employers.
Secondly, you seem to suppose you know what is best for everybody.
—
I have a better idea: eliminate statutory holidays entirely. Let employers and employees negotiate when they want to work.
Sorry if my demand for less government regulation “offends anyone” who seems to think government knows what is best for us.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 8:19 am | Permalink
Anonymous wrote:
I think the only opposition you will get to this is from employers, given that they require some amount of stability and predictability for scheduling employees. It is an interesting concept that should be explored further as an option; the end result of the analysis may indeed provide an alternative to the time honoured tradition.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 8:19 am | Permalink
Shane wrote:
jmorrison: how exactly do government mandated statutory holidays equate to history, culture, religion? Are you saying that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if the government ceased to require all businesses to shut down or pay double time for working it?
Charles: wouldn’t it save employers money by not having to close their businesses? Lots of companies run through holidays anyway - this would prevent them from having to pay double time for holidays. Just like vacation days, it is a simple negotiation based on a compromise between the needs of the employee and the need for the employer to cover his schedule.
Your better idea is something I proposed as well - just increase the average annual vacation time alotted and do away with stats.
Anonymous - I would think that as I said above, employers would be in favour as they would save on the overtime rates they pay on stats. It allows them to be much more flexible in terms of scheduling and they don’t have to worry about missing out on days.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 8:50 am | Permalink
Charles Anthony wrote:
“Your better idea is something I proposed as well - just increase the average annual vacation time alotted and do away with stats.”
Not at all. You are just shifting days. Instead of calling them “stat” holidays, you are calling them “vacation” days. Beyond the incidental differences in taxation rates, you are offering no difference.
I would demand eliminating statuatory days without increasing mandatory vacation time. [I would also demand eliminating mandatory vacation time too.]
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 10:00 am | Permalink
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous - I would think that as I said above, employers would be in favour as they would save on the overtime rates they pay on stats. It allows them to be much more flexible in terms of scheduling and they don’t have to worry about missing out on days.
That is one point of view.
Another, the one I stated, is that they would rather have a consistency in their work force (i.e. didn’t have someone bugger off for 4 weeks at a time) and rather gave long week-ends every once in a while. Remember, not everyone works on stat holidays, most people just don’t go into work, and the office is closed.
It would probaly be important to consult with businesses, though, before speaking for them and what they would like.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 12:52 pm | Permalink
Anonymous wrote:
Remember, a loss of productivity due to employees being gone for extended periods of time is probably more costly than paying time-and-a-half for those who do work on stats (which again, is not the majority of workers).
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 12:54 pm | Permalink
Shane wrote:
Ah.. see there are two problems with the last two anonymous posts.
First, I never said anything about staff buggering off for 4 weeks at a time. Employers always have discretion about when people take time off. It is called terms of employment. I never said anything about delivering into employees’ hands the ability to unilaterally tell their boss, “Cya, I’m gone for 4 weeks!” Looks like a straw man to me.
Second, care to back that claim of a “loss of productivity” when someone is away for an extended length of time? I have read the exact opposite - because no decrease in stress levels registers in vacations less than 1 week, employees are sick more often, have more health problems and have a decreased life expectancy. On the other hand, the studies I read actually point to an increase in workplace performance, enthusiasm and efficiency when employees take longer, sustained breaks.
I am 100% sure that businesses would prefer not to have to close on certain days of the year. In today’s global economy, there is no such thing as a standard holiday globally. Business happens every day of the week - weekdays and weekends. Tell me again which companies would prefer to have static stat days that leave them devoid of staff on certain days, or be forced to pay overtime.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 2:34 pm | Permalink
Anonymous wrote:
Well, then, if you are 100% sure, then I am sure you have the evidence to back up your claim.
At the risk of sounding narcicistically anecdotal (much like your “evidence”) my father’s business would suffer under your proposal - he likes being able to plan his business cycle without the uncertainty of his employees asking for days off.
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 2:38 pm | Permalink
Shane wrote:
http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110002694652/en/
http://www.psychosomaticmedici.....l/62/5/608
http://www.travelandleisure.co.....n-the-road
Here’s a few for ya. Now, can you document your contention that people are slackers and/or less productive after vacations?
Posted on 05-Dec-07 at 4:11 pm | Permalink