SURVEY SAYS: When Will You Be Closed for the Fourth?

June 24, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - We are fast coming up on the Fourth of July (the one federal holiday that really can’t be moved to a Monday).   

Of course, this year the Fourth is on a Sunday, which opens up all sorts of long weekend possibilities.  This week, I asked readers when they would be closing for the Fourth.   

Before we get to the workplace closures, I also asked readers what additional time, if any, you’d try to squeeze in around the holiday.   

Now most – but only 52% – said they were not taking any additional time off.  Nearly one-in-eight (11.8%) said they would be out “some, but not all of the week of July 5”, while just about 5% were looking at some time off “some, but not all of the week of June 28.”   

Roughly 6% will be off the whole week of July 5, and just under 3% will be doing the same the whole week of June 28.   

Roughly one-in-ten are taking off on July 2 – and the rest will be doing so just on July 5.  

 

Among the remaining “other” responses:

Probably start earlier and leave earlier on 7/2

I'm taking the Friday before off to make a long weekend of it - with only 6 paid holidays a year, I need to stretch those weekends when I can!

On vacation from July 1 - July 6

I took the July 2, the Friday before and we have Monday the 5th off.

Taking the following Friday/Monday off for my birthday celebration.

July 6th. Going to the mountains and can't fathom sitting in traffic getting back to town on the 5th with everyone else.

Disneyworld, here we come!!

Although I am the only one not taking additional time. I will be the only one in my department on July 2.

Since we are not closed at all, hourly employees will just receive 8 hrs extra holiday pay, but salaried employees will have a paid holiday to take off whenever they want.  

Taking vacation on June 30th for the midnight showing of Eclipse.

And my personal favorite in this batch, Not unless my wife gives goes into labor a couple weeks early!

Now, as for those workplace closures, perhaps not surprisingly, the vast majority will be closed on July 5 (the Monday after) – in fact, that’s the case for 92.2% of this week’s respondents.

Roughly 2% said they would be closed the entire week of July 5, while 1% will be closed on July 2 and July 5, and another 1% said they would be closing early on the 2.  On the other hand, 3.9% said they would not be closed at all.

The rest – well, they opted for “other”, an option that included the following:

Close at noon on the 2nd with the 5th off. Wed, Jun 23, 2010 4:35 PM Find...

If a holiday falls on a Saturday, we close on Friday. If the holiday is on a Sunday we close on Monday.

We are in the auto industry and shutdown everything for the whole week before and for the 5th.

Closing early on the second and also closed the 5th

Closed July 3rd and 5th

Closed on the 5th AND closing early on the 2nd!

Closed July 1 through July 9 - using one holiday plus vacation pay to cover shutdown

 

Several readers expressed the (apparently very common) frustration with having to remind folks of their stated procedures; “Even with a holiday policy that states "Saturday holidays will be taken on Friday; Sunday holidays on Monday", employees still get confused”, noted one.

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said “I work for a bank...contrary to popular belief we never close...with the 4th falling on a Sunday we'll get a floating holiday. And by floating, I mean "we encourage you to take a day off to be with your family when it’s convenient for the bank for you to do so"

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

 

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