Were you disgusted stores forcing their workers to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Karl Gehring, Denver Post file photo
Here's how we push back:
paid holidays! It's a travesty that the US doesn't have paid holiday laws. Most other first-world nations do. This is not some wild-eyed untried idea and would benefit workers for a variety of reasons.
The US has 10 federal holidays and each state has their own list of holidays. This is on par with most other first world nations. However--unlike in those other nations--in the US whether you have to work on these days or not depends on either the generosity of your employer and/or your union contract. There is no mandate that you be given the day off--paid or unpaid. This might come as a surprise to many people. To others it may not.
Government employees almost universally get these days as paid time off. To many people this it may be a source of resentment: why should their taxes go to pay for government employees (state or federal) to take the day off when they have to work? Republicans have used this sort of resentment has lead to the anti-government-worker/anti-public-union legislation pushed in many states (especially my own state of Wisconsin). What if progressives were to flip this resentment on its head: instead of punishing the public employees, expand their benefits to everyone?
State Level
Another travesty is the fact that almost none of the legislatures of "blue states" have pushed this at the state level. Let's look at a handful of these states and see what their laws are:
California - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Colorado - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Connecticut - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Delaware - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
D.C. - Employers only required to let employees take off April 16, "District of Columbia Emancipation Day" (unpaid). Can require employees to work all other Holidays, no extra pay.
Hawaii - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Illinois - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Iowa - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Maine - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Maryland - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Massachusetts - MA requires retail establishments to close on certain holidays and pay time and a half on others.
Michigan - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Minnesota - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
New Hampshire - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
New Jersey - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
New Mexico - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
New York - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Oregon - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Pennsylvania - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Rhode Island - Employees have the right to refuse to work on state holidays. If they do work, they must be paid time and a half.
Vermont - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Washington - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Wisconsin - Employers can require employees to work Holidays, no extra pay.
Not a single state provides for paid holidays. Only a couple (MA & RI) require unpaid holidays and/or time & 1/2. D.C. has only one unpaid holiday that employees can request off. You'd think that in a least one of these legislatures, over the decades, a law would be passed.
Benefits of paid holidays
- Allow low-paid workers to spend time with their families
- Get rid of "two-tier" holidays where retail workers have to work while everyone else (except emergency workers) get the day off.
What would paid holidays look like?
We don't have to look far: our neighbors to the north ensure that their citizens get paid holidays. Let's look at Ontario:
- Employers are required to give employees 9 holidays off
- Employees can agree in writing to work the holiday but then must be either paid time and a half or be given a "substitute holiday"--another day, paid
- Applies to full time employees and part time employees scheduled to work that day.
- Some industries, hotels, hospitals, gas stations can require employees to work but must either pay them time and a half of give them a substitute holiday.
- If the holiday falls on a day the business is closed (i.e.: weekend or Monday) employee is entitled to holiday pay anyway
- If the holiday falls on a day the employee is on vacation, he/she is still entitled to holiday pay.
- If the holiday falls on a day the employee is on sick leave, he/she is still entitled to holiday pay.