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Employee Shares Their Frustration After Finding Out Company Doesn’t Pay For Christmas Break
Unfortunately, there is no perfect workplace. Some jobs are better than others. Some are closer to your home, others have better pay, better hours, bonuses, nice coworkers, a work/life balance, or some other things. But of course, it’s also important what criteria are the most important to you.
A few days ago, one Reddit user shared her frustration that attracted a lot of attention. She shared that she found out that although employees at her company get one week off for Christmas break, they are not getting paid for it.
More info: Reddit
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For most of us, Christmas is one of the main holidays when we spend the most money
Image credits: Utopix Pictures Pictures (not the actual photo)
This woman shared that she has an office job where the hours are regular and the pay is decent
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
However, she found out that employees get a week off for Christmas but 4 days are unpaid
Image credits: Zeralina91
The woman shamed the company for not being able to shell out at least $100 on bonuses around Christmas
A Reddit user shared on one of its communities that she has been working at an office job since April. She shares that it’s better than her previous job, has regular working hours, the pay is okay, and there’s usually no issues when requesting time off. Well, basically, that’s few of the most important aspects in a decent workplace.
However, the thing that made OP pissed is that she found out that employees get a week off for Christmas break but they are not being paid for 4 of these days. She added that, before, she had jobs where Christmas break was paid, or they could work between holidays, or bonuses were given.
The author expressed her disappointment that the company can’t even add at least an extra $100 to employees’ checks around Christmas time. The post received a lot of attention and collected almost 14K upvotes and more than 1.7K comments.
Community members discussed this situation and some were surprised that people expect their Christmas break to be paid, others were jealous that they even get time off during Christmas, and others shared that their company is the same and they just accept that. “US work rights are a joke,” one user wrote and the comment received almost 5K upvotes.
Image credits: Pavel Danilyuk (not the actual photo)
So, while it seems fair to get paid for days off during Christmas holidays or have an opportunity to work or get some bonuses, Paycor notes that in most states, holiday pay is not mandated by law for workers in the private sector. Also, federal employers are the only ones who have to give holiday compensation.
Let’s analyze holiday pay laws. While it’s common for employers to offer holiday compensation, there is no federal rule in the US forcing private businesses to do the same. It is true that federal workers are entitled to 11 paid holidays annually by law. However, this technically means that businesses are not required to compensate employees for time not worked if they take a day off for Christmas or even work a holiday shift.
Heather Anderson, who is an experienced HR and Employee Relations professional listed a few reasons why it’s actually a good thing for companies to provide holiday pay for employees. The first thing is that employees volunteer for holidays. Giving workers holiday pay for these days, such as 1.5x for hours worked on the actual holiday, encourages them to come to work.
Another aspect is that it helps to attract new talented employees. Including holiday compensation in your complete rewards package might help your business stand out from the competition. And finally, it improves employee morale. Adequate family time is critical to fostering a happy and healthy workforce, as mental health is a major concern in the workplace. When holidays are paid for, workers can take that time off without fear of losing their pay.
So guys, what do you think about this story that turned out to be more of a discussion? What’s your take on this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Redditors discussed their personal experiences regarding holiday pay
Image credits: Julián Amé (not the actual photo)
What do you think ?
arthbach 1 year ago
When new members of staff start, I explain we have 6 weeks of holiday each year. This includes bank holidays (11 days), and the week between Christmas and New Year. The rest of their holiday entitlement is theirs to use as they wish. Employees should know their terms and conditions. The company should meet (or better, exceed) the minimum legal requirements.
Ace 1 year ago
You should perhaps clarify for our American cousins (as it's clear you're talking about the UK) that this is all paid time off.
Load More Replies... Ace 1 year ago
The whole concept of 'unpaid' time off for professional/office jobs is alien to most of us in Europe. Very occasionally you might hear of someone taking an unpaid sabbatical, sometimes for up to a year, but that's something quite different. I'm aware that Zero-hours contracts exist now in the UK, which is something I abhor, and I worked for many years as a consultant, when of course I wasn't being given 'time off' by anyone except myself, but the idea that you just have a regular job where you're expected to take time off without pay is just unimaginable.
arthbach 1 year ago
I used to abhor zero hours contracts, until one of my employees asked for it. They wanted to retire, but still be able to do some specific tasks for us, and provide holiday cover. As it is what the employee wanted, and would work for both of us, I said 'Yes'. However, as a general rule, I am still against zero hours contracts. There's far too great an imbalance towards the employer.
Load More Replies...
arthbach 1 year ago
When new members of staff start, I explain we have 6 weeks of holiday each year. This includes bank holidays (11 days), and the week between Christmas and New Year. The rest of their holiday entitlement is theirs to use as they wish. Employees should know their terms and conditions. The company should meet (or better, exceed) the minimum legal requirements.
Ace 1 year ago
You should perhaps clarify for our American cousins (as it's clear you're talking about the UK) that this is all paid time off.
Load More Replies... Ace 1 year ago
The whole concept of 'unpaid' time off for professional/office jobs is alien to most of us in Europe. Very occasionally you might hear of someone taking an unpaid sabbatical, sometimes for up to a year, but that's something quite different. I'm aware that Zero-hours contracts exist now in the UK, which is something I abhor, and I worked for many years as a consultant, when of course I wasn't being given 'time off' by anyone except myself, but the idea that you just have a regular job where you're expected to take time off without pay is just unimaginable.
arthbach 1 year ago
I used to abhor zero hours contracts, until one of my employees asked for it. They wanted to retire, but still be able to do some specific tasks for us, and provide holiday cover. As it is what the employee wanted, and would work for both of us, I said 'Yes'. However, as a general rule, I am still against zero hours contracts. There's far too great an imbalance towards the employer.
Load More Replies...
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