Holiday Pay

April 12, 2007

What I don’t understand is how companies can be so short-sighted in their philosophy to require people to work on state and national holidays.

Further, I don’t get the wet-noodle backboned workers who put up with this treatment.

I’m not speaking about any firm in particular, and because my employer gives me two months off per year plus all the regular holidays I’m definitely not complaining about them. But I do think there should be some balance.

Hasn’t anyone realized yet that happy people are less likely to come into work carrying firearms or machetes?

Don’t the people at the top think that it’s not entirely fair to make people stay at work?

And I’m not going to argue apples and oranges between my company and the supermarket down the street, but if you are given a package of vacation days as part of your employment, don‚Äôt be skittish about asking for that time off. In fact, you really shouldn‚Äôt treat it as ‚Äòasking‚Äô ‚Äì you already have that time granted to you. Just tell your supervisor when you‚Äôre taking your allotted time off.

I think it’s a pervasive mindset that people are doing something bad if they take what has been promised them. Essentially, if XXX company can fire anyone at will (which is how 90%+ of employment agreements are phrased these days) then why shouldn’t the employee wield some power too?

Everyone should at least treat it like a two-way street?

I’m not aware of what set me off on this, but it’s probably the manufactured Patriot’s Day holiday in Massachusetts on April 16 this year. As a result of this state-wide holiday we can file our taxes one day later than anyone else in the country and many of the companies give the day off as a benefit.

This is definitely one of the most random rants I’ve posted lately and I’d like your views on holidays, working for the man and what worth an employment contract really has these days.
In the meanwhile I’ll try to gather my senses and put together a little more coherent post for next time.

More to come…