Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Need a little help here with an ongoing debate I am having, with a friend.

In Canada we have Statuatory Holidays, 9 of them during a calendar year. It was brought to my attention that no such law exists in the USA according to the Federal Government. There are holidays that are paid by the employer in different parts of the country but they are not mandated to do so, hence my question.

Are you paid for Labor Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day by your employee? Are you paid time and a half if you work on these days? I would like to know if anyone is Not paid for these days and are forced to work them and their circumstances surrounding this if that is the case.

Thanks to one and all for helping me and I am curious as to how your State operates......

There is no mandate to give paid holidays to anyone. (at least in Illinois-think it is the case most places) I have worked for employers who do not pay holidays or vacation days. Also, if you work on Holiday's, the employer is only required to pay you for regular time UNLESS you are beyond 40 hours. For instance, if you came in on Labor day and worked, it would be regular time until towards the end of the week if you surpassed 40 hours. My current employer does pay for Labor day though, so you would get regular time, plus 8 hours of holiday time if you worked on the holiday.

We have the following paid holidays where I work: Good Friday, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and 2 floating holidays to use at our discretion.

I know other people that work all Holidays, but they get a day of their choice off with pay instead (primarily they work in the Healthcare Profession).

I'm glad I work at a company that observes these holidays, but part of me thinks we should just go to floating holidays as most are skewed toward the Christian Faith (which I am one), but seems like we should be allowing those of other faiths to have thier religious holidays off if we get ours.

I am very fortunate. I work for a major aerospace electronics firm. We have the following holidays: January 1, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas (and this year the next five working days). The Christmas Holiday combined with January 1 provides us with eleven consecutive days off (including the two weekends).

Tucson Osty

Most companies I've worked for have all been the same, good about giving a paid day off for your major holidays like Christmas, the Fri. after Thanksgiving, Memorial day and Labor Day etc. I've worked for a few gas stations and they are abit different cause there always open but I've always been paid time and half on the holiday and they've all tried to rotate so the same person doesn't end up working all the holidays unless they really want to. The company I work for now also most years gives us 2 floater holidays to use as we'd like, its pretty much just 2 more PTO days.

I live in ND and the one kind of weird and outdated law we have here is that retail stores can't open on Sundays till noon. Grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants can but no Walmart, Menards or so on till noon on Sundays. I live right next to MN though so if I really needed something that bad I could just go across the border. Its a church thing I would guess. I remember in the early 90's(I can't remember exactly when) when they finally made it so retail stores could open on Sun. in ND, prior to that they couldn't be open at all on a Sunday.

http://gph.is/XMLGff

Thanks for the responses, this is very helpful in the ongoing debate I'm involved in. My side was that even knowing the Federal Government is not required to pay for Holidays or days off in lieu that many private companies do so. My friend who employs people hates having to pay these 'stat' holidays and was wishing he was in the USA to get away from having to do this, kinda scrooge-like isn't he? I have to be careful tho' as he does employ me and in fact pays me quite well, lol.....

I get 7 holidays off a year. If I have to work one I get double time and a half. Then if I work over 8 hours that day I get time and a half of the double time and a half. For example if I make 20 bucks an hour I'll get 50 per hour on the holiday and if I work over 8 that day I'll make 75 bucks an hr for anything over 8. I really dont mind working holidays except for Christmas and Thanksgiving. I'll work them all if I can! Your friend should pay for at least 3 holidays for employees IMO.

First the states make those decisions, not the federal government. Since I work for a community College in facilities here in the red state of AZ, we get ALL of Arizona's designated holidays http://www.theholidayschedule.com/arizona-state-holidays.php I also get 2 weeks off for Christmas, a week off for spring break, and two extra days for Thanksgiving, Wen. Thurs. Fri, all paid... And then off course my three weeks vacation that I take a day or three at a time or however I want. Oh, and sometimes we get a extra day thrown in if the holiday falls just right for us, and wrong for the taxpayers.

Perfect for a commie pinko rat fink in a Republican state, don't ya think?..LOL

OK, the bottom line is I have more time off than money. My job pay's lousy compared to the private sector, but then again I have excellent insurace

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Never hit stationary objects!

Most Manufacturing jobs that are not Union get about the same Holidays, If you did work said Holiday most paid Regular + time and a half. The 1 thing that sucked working in the Automotive Industry during shut down was the 1st week you had to use that as a waiting week unless you had vacation accrued then you had to use that. The Job I have now is Fantastic & wouldn't give it up for the world. If you have decent employees & they do you a good job this shouldn't be a problem. If they don't make you money I'd be a little sore about it myself. I know Central Transport has to work 55 hrs before they are paid Time & a half. Dock & P&D drivers. Linehaul was paid milage & hourly for the dock. There are alot of variances at different places.

I've been in that boat too at times and in all of the five states I've lived in, NM, AZ, CA, OR. and WA, but I assure you all federal and State employees, or someone like myself who's under the state umbrella receive Holiday pay and decent insurance benefits, as do most people who work for large corporations or have union jobs. The truth is that without the work and sacrifice that union employees have made in the past, including death, many more people would be working not only without holiday pay, but without benefits at all!

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

When I was a paramedic for Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service we were paid double time and no day in leiu. If that was one of your days off,you got a banked stat that you could use anytime. You still go paid when you took the stat at straight time...We had/have a good gig...

You have not worked all kind of hours and everyday of the week until you have worked for the media. I am a mid level manager at a newspaper that produces 5 daily papers everyday of the week, 365 days a year. Some are morning papers and some afternoon so it creates a very trying schedule with little sleep. Only ever had two jobs in my life and I will retire in 3 yrs. For 20 years I ran a car dealership before switching to the media career 21 years ago. Our regular employees do get 5 paid holidays and paid vacation. If you are an hourly employee you get time and a half for holiday work. I usually can sneak in about 4 hrs. of sleep a day. Sometimes not all at the same time.

Depends on employer & if you're unionized, With a strong union, lots of goodies. Used to work at Climax Molybdenum Mine outside of Leadville, Colorado, 11,000 ft. altitude, OCAW shop. We got double time & a half if we chose to work holidays. If snow shut down the road, you got half days pay. I swear some guys would put on bald tires when it snowed. 2 lanes from town to the mine, 1,000 ft. vertical rise, one lane stops, every body crossing their fingers, second lane stops, BINGO, turn around & hit the bars...

Oh yea, they've been closed since 1984...

Now I'm a substitute teacher in Denver Public Schools, NO benefits. Might as well be a day laborer, only paid for the days you work, considered part time even tho I work 4-5 days a week, not allowed in union. Worst part is we're not allowed to collect employment in the summer.... but you can work when you feel like it... or broke...

Thanks again one and all for your responses. Having lived in the great USA (loved every minute of it) for almost 18 years I have been trying to tell my boss that the Federal Government controls very little of what happens in the various States. I lived in 4 and I know that most of everything I had to do was controlled from the State Capitol not Washington. He doesn't believe nor understand this, what a debate we are having and you all know how much I like to 'debate', here's hopin' I get to keep my cushy job, lol.....

If Central Transport isn't paying overtime once you hit 40 hours in a week, they are probably violating Federal (and State) laws regarding Overtime compensation.

Many over the road truckers work as indepenent contractors where they get paid by the mile and don't have an hourly wage (but not all places are set up that way).

Businesses do what is competitive for wooing potential employees. If one manufacturing company is paying $10 / hour but has ZERO paid holidays, they more than likely are losing people to the company across the street that is paying $9.75/hour but has 10 paid holidays per year.

It all comes down to how to you lure talent and not have turn-over (especially skilled jobs).

I know union and non-union companies that both pay the same amount of $$ per hour, have the same benefits and holidays, yet the union workers are paying union dues every week/month because without them they wouldn't be getting near the benefits that they do (yes they would, their company couldn't keep anyone working there if they didn't, they'd seek out other jobs with the same benefit and pay structure without having to pay the union dues).

It all comes down to how good (or bad) the management of the companies is. Good management will treat their employees well (via compensation, insurance, hours, paid holidays, etc.) with or without a union. Badly managed companies won't (with or without a union) and you see layoffs, strikes, lock-outs, etc..)