SURVEY SAYS: Time Off for Thanksgiving

Forty percent of respondents indicated their employers offer only Thanksgiving Day, while 58% said they offer Thanksgiving Day and the day after. Two percent of respondents reported they get no days off for the Thanksgiving holiday. Sixty percent of readers take time off in addition to what their employers provide.  

In the verbatim comments, some responding readers noted that the day after Thanksgiving can be a quiet day at work and enable them to get more done.  Some lucky readers indicated their employers provide the day before or one-half day before Thanksgiving, while some take the day before to prepare for celebrations. Of course, several mentioned Black Friday shopping, but one said: “Taking off the day after Thanksgiving, but I won’t be going anywhere near a store!” I definitely agree with that.  

Verbatim   

Love having the day after Thanksgiving off and it's paid!! 

I'm taking the day before Thanksgiving off too. 

Taking 3 extra days off 

It’s always hard because almost everyone in the department wants Friday off, so we pray there is someone to hold down the fort. Over the years, there are a few people who like working that day because they claim they can get so much done without interruptions. 

Taking off the day after Thanksgiving, but I won't be going anywhere near a store! 

Taking a vacation day for the day after Thanksgiving 

Our company provides either the day after Thanksgiving or Good Friday off. Of course, some associates try to take both days off! 

I look forward to working on Friday after Thanksgiving. It's "qwiet, verrry qwiet." All of our clients are either home or out shopping! 

Touch football in the morning. If any relatives or friends record the game, it will look like the camera was set to slow motion. We just don't move quickly anymore. 

Thanksgiving was to be at our house this year. However, due to elderly parent's sickness, she will not be able to attend. Now going to my niece's house for Thanksgiving. Still going to see family, just not all of the extended family. Now, if the Government would shut down on the Friday after Thanksgiving and give us all the day off, it would help the economy by providing an incentive for us to Shop Until We Drop. (Will leave that to the Wife and Son, they do Black Friday shopping, I sleep late). 

Our company provides 3 "floating" holidays for employees to use during the year, so if they so choose (and of course depending on coverage) they may take days off around Thanksgiving. Instead of Black Friday, I'm taking cyber Monday off. 

Working 

Having Thanksgiving dinner with friends, Friday & Sunday working as a volunteer with a local fire station. 

eat with family go home and veg on couch watch games on TV 

We also give our employees a half day the day before Thanksgiving so they can get ready for the Holiday Celebration. 

The whole week off! 

Taking the day after Thanksgiving off as a vacation day. 

My college student is coming home for break so I took the week off. 

This year we actually got the day before as a paid holiday as well. It would have been much nicer to get that extra day over the Christmas holidays. 

Verbatim (cont.)  

Not cooking this year and only one of the kids will be home so it should be a quiet and relaxing long weekend. 

Besides Thanksgiving and the following Friday, we also receive the 1/2 day before Thanksgiving and a 1/2 day on Christmas Eve. The trade-off for that extra perk is that people at "home office" don't get a company paid holiday party. Seems pretty fair to those of us not at home office. I use the time for extra travel time before all the traffic hits the highway. 

My wonderful sister-in-law is hosting a day of family time and feasting, including pumpkin bagels for breakfast and a New England style shrimp boil for the main meal of the day. 

We'll get out a little early the day after Thanksgiving, but since the market is open, we'll be open. 

Having dinner with my family at home. We bought a house a year and a half ago and combined families so I love spending time with the "family" I waited years for! 

Instead of celebrating President's Day in February the State of NM celebrates the holiday the day after thanksgiving. My kids and I have the tradition of hitting the black Friday sales for the fun of it. We take homemade yeast rolls, pick up hot chocolate, and have plenty of fun! 

I will probably take either Wednesday before, or perhaps Monday following Thanksgiving weekend. No plans, hope to get a little R&R 

If the market is open, we are open 

Getting my hair done the day before - gotta look nice for the turkey 

I like taking the first week of December off, so when Thanksgiving falls on a later date, I'll try to take Friday and then the whole next week off. Not this year, though. Oh well... 

Almost always take Friday off as well. Staying home, will enjoy having the college kid home with us! 

Tuesday & Wednesday as vacation plus Thursday & Friday paid days off 

Plans: getting together with family and enjoying the long weekend. 

Work is full time, paid hourly, with no benefits and no paid time off. 

Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after are two or our 10 annual holidays. 

I will only take the day before Thanksgiving, to prepare for family dinner on Thanksgiving Day. I'll be back in the office on Friday - only manager here - so it will be a GREAT day! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope the day after is quiet so I can leave the office early. 

spend time with family 

While "off" - most of us will be working from home part of the time as it's our busiest time of the year. 

Verbatim (cont.)  

visiting family for the first time in many years 

This year we get both days off, however next year we will only have Thanksgiving off. 

Traveling from PA to MI to be with Family 

Celebrating Thanksgiving with local family members on Thanksgiving. Taking Friday off as a vacation day to visit with family who lives about an hour's drive away. Despite our office being open on the Friday after Thanksgiving, historically there has been very little, if any, client call activity. Regardless, our group is required to be staffed at about 30%, while other groups in the same company and same building do not have similar requirements. 

I always take the day before Thanksgiving off to start cooking. I make the entire feast for our family and I need the time!!! I make up for that by volunteering to be part of the required skeleton crew on Friday though. 

Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday for quite some time now. It is non commercial and non denominational in my opinion. After Thanksgiving Day I just plan on relaxing the rest of the long weekend before the Christmas rush starts. 

I'm taking the whole week off to prepare for Thanksgiving and do Christmas shopping. 

I'm taking the entire week. Besides being closed both Thursday and Friday, we also close two hours early Wednesday, so its less than 3 full days of PTO. 

I'm taking the whole week off at Thanksgiving. Monday - Weds to prepare and Friday to recuperate from a house full of relatives! 

I'd love to take extra time, but I haven't started open enrollment yet, haven't finished the budget yet, haven't finished year end evaluations yet, haven't finished planning the holiday party yet, blah blah blah! Oh, and I'm now the only person in HR. Let's all give thanks. 

Will be off the day before and after. Spending it shopping for my bridal gown! 

In a two person department only one person at a time can be out. My boss always claims any days around holidays. Anybody out there in DashLand hiring? 

It's open enrollment time! Every benefits/pension professional worth their salt knows you take a turkey-on-rye sam'ich to work on black Friday. 

Taking off Wednesday as well to get all the food ready! 

For many years, I "enjoyed" working the day after Thanksgiving. Commute was more civilized, workplace was quiet (nearly deserted), and it was either a good day to get a lot done, or a good day to get little done and not feel (all that) bad about it. Of course, many people HAVE to work (some have to work to help deal with those who don't know how to cook turkeys in those deep fryers). I'm thankful this year to be able to stay home an extra day with my family - and thinking about all those in the Northeast still struggling to put THEIR lives back together... 

I always take a PTO day on the day after Thanksgiving 

Started a tradition with a friend for the day after Thanksgiving. We get together with our spouses for sushi and martinis. Lots of fun! 

I'm thankful to have a job - and, this year particularly, one that allows my employer to give us the day off. 

NOTE: Responses reflect the opinions of individual readers and not the stance of Asset International or its affiliates.