SURVEY SAYS: Will You Be Open MLK Day?

January 15, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Monday is, of course, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - a federal holiday, and a day on which the markets - and many (most?) businesses - will be closed.
You can find out the results of this week’s survey HERE

Monday is, of course, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - a federal holiday, and a day on which the markets - and many (most?) businesses - will be closed.  

This week, I asked readers if their workplace would be closed for the day.

A Bad Time of Year?

Now, admittedly, this is a bad time of year for many of us to be away from the office, what with dealing with year-end close-outs, processing, and administrative tasks - and that's not even taking into account the individual operating particularities of the industry in which you may perform those duties.  

Nonetheless, for nearly half of this week's respondents - and I'm talking 49.5%  - Monday looks to be...just another working day (although one reader said that, while they wouldn't be closed, "We just won't answer the phone" ).  .  

In fact, only about 45% will have the day off - because the remaining 6% will be working as well - apparently MLK Day (and Columbus Day) have for many become floating holidays to be used at times of the year when things aren't quite so hectic.

For those who would be "off", I asked what they would (mostly) be doing, fully expecting that a large number of them would be working (for the record, I have a feeling I'll wind up in that category).   However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that only about 10% would be "off, but working."   Slightly more said they would be "resting", while roughly 5-6% each were planning to either read, travel, watch TV/go to the movies, or - "nothing at all."   In fact, a robust 16.9% put themselves in the "who knows" category.   Hopefully that presents a day full of possibilities.

On the other hand, a mere 2.2% said they would be participating in some kind of commemorative event/observance.   

Of course, those of you who have been doing the math will realize that those numbers fail to account for some one-in-four of this week's respondents - all of whom opted for "other."   For some that was a chance to catch up on errands (or, as one reader noted, "Errands, errands, errands . . . . and hopefully still celebrating that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the Super Bowl!!" ), getting ready for tax preparation (personal), cleaning up around the house (or, as one reader explained, "Hopefully getting my homefront "To Do" list cleared." , and for at least one reader, the order of the day was to "Let freedom ring, not alarm clock!"

A number of readers were "simply" doing more than one of the things on my list - but, in many cases, "other" was because - well, as one reader noted, "Taking care of the kids since there's no school."   Lots of dads were in the good company of this reader who noted, "This is the first time we are closed for MLK day, they took away Jan 2nd, and both my children are off from school for the day. I plan on doing something fun with them, while Mom is at work."

Indeed, I was struck by just how many of the "others" were going to be engaged in family interactions - not only with kids, but grandkids, parents, grandparents - and even nieces/nephews!   In other words, as one reader noted, "Spending some precious time with my family."

But this week's Editor's Choice goes to the reader who was looking for a very unique category.  "We need a category for being as lazy as possible to gear up for a special audit project.   I need all the strength I can get to deal with one idiot on the team. Hmmmm, I'm thinking Valium for me and a sledge hammer for him."

Here's to the "idiots" on every team - and thanks to all the non-idiots who participated in this week's survey!

Our corporate office is closed but all stores are not.
No. We just won't answer the phone.
it is a Holiday for the company but us worker bees will be working the phones. clients need to call and we will answer.
My workplace is open, and I will actually be travelling for work. Always fun trying to head from the Northeast to the Midwest in the middle of winter.
Open - but we get a floating holiday that we can use any day during the year.
No, we are a TPA and in peak, but we do give the day off to our employees to be used at a later date at their choosing.
We only work with financial institutions and we do not get it off. We're lucky to get easter Sunday off!
We're open, but I'm taking the day off as part of a long weekend.
We are not closed but we do allow for time off without penalty under our attendance system for the plant employees. My boys will have school that day for the first time in several years. The school district decided to plan special activities for the kids to celebrate the day at school instead closing for the day.
We won't be closed on the 19th because this is a peak busy time of the year for us. MLK and Presidents' Day are what we call "floating holidays." We don't get the actual day off, but the company allows us two extra days off that we can take at our discretion.
It is a floating holiday. 1/2 of the company will be off (the money mangement-trading group) and 1/2 of the company will be here (wealth management and tax group)
We will be open, but our Employee Appreciation Party is scheduled for the entire afternoon (formally known as our Christmas Party that was moved to January because not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I guess that's another survey).
Sleeping or something besides working either at work or at home (chores), or taking care of parents. Oh, to be part of the sandwich generation.
I will be organizing pictures from my 2-week holiday trip to Edinburgh/London/NYC!
Hanging out with my kids.
This is the first time we are closed for MLK day, they took away Jan 2nd, and both my children are off from school for the day. I plan on doing something fun with them, while Mom is at work.
Taking care of the kids since there's no school.
work around the house, while the renovations are done, the settling in continues, and will for quite some time I expect
Enjoying it since President's day is no longer a recognized holiday by the institution I work for. Prefer to keep President's day for no other reason than a break between New Year's and Memorial Day, otherwise it is 5 months before we get an official holiday off.
Preparing for Lunar New Year!
Spending some precious time with my family.
Shoveling snow; wishing I was someplace warmer
Volunteer work--encouraging Bible study
Combination of the above. Hopefully hit the gym for a bonus (?) workout, then a few hours at the office, then dinner out with a friend. (extra workout = justification to enjoy dinner!)
Either working on my house or resting. I am so excited to have a day off after a hectic end of 2008/beginning of 2009.
Errands, errands, errands . . . . and hopefully still celebrating that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to the Super Bowl!!
Spending time with my son since school will also be closed
Car maintenance appointment so I don't have to take off work on another day to handle. Very exciting!
Working on a business tax return which is due March 15th.
Movies & Shopping
Operating the "Mom and Dad" taxi service!
driving distance though...................
Will probably do some work around the house and catch up on some chores.
We need a category for being as lazy as possible to gear up for a special audit project. I need all the strength I can get to deal with one idiot on the team. Hmmmm, I'm thinking Valium for me and a sledge hammer for him.
doctor appointments
Staying at home with 3 & 5 year old daughters as my wife will be working.
Hopefully getting my homefront "To Do" list cleared. This is the time of year that I get rid of things we don't need and find space for gifts we received during the holidays. Plus, it's time to get the home office organized, and get my "tax folder" ready.
Let freedom ring, not alarm clock!
Staying home with the kids, no school either!
I'll be working, but I took the day off on the 12th, swapping it for the 19th.
Spending time with friends and family
Housework
Playing with my granddaughter, hopefully!
cleaning the house w/ my husband
Taking my grandmother to lunch
Getting tax papers ready.
Skiing, maybe?
Variety - all the stuff that doesn't get done in two short weekend days!
Chasing kids

More so than usual this year, Inauguration Day is garnering a lot of attention.   As a bonus question, I asked readers if they had any special plans for the day.

Roughly a quarter ( 23.6% ) said they would be watching on TV, while half that number ( 12.9% ) said they would be plugged in to the event via the Internet - and a distinct minority ( 1% , in fact) said they would actually be AT the Inauguration (you'll see some of that referenced in the verbatims this week).

No Plans

On the other hand, a clear plurality ( 42% ) said they had no special plans for the day, nearly one-in-eight said they "couldn't care less", and about 10% said they were "avoiding it like the plague" (doubtless some of those live in/around the nation's capital - including one who said they would be "Working from home to avoid chance of bad traffic in the suburban Washington, DC area." ).

No Editor's Choice for this week's bonus question - but you'll doubtless enjoy the diversity of perspectives in our verbatim selections.

Thanks to everyone who participated in our bonus survey!

We're actually planning to turn on the large screen TV in the conference room and let employees watch it if they choose. It works out nicely that it will happen during lunch time!
I wish I could stay home that day to give it my full attention.
I'd like to watch it but will be at work. I need to DVR it.
I might watch it on the Web if I can figure out how to do it
I'd love to watch some of it, but I don't think the powers that be here would appreciate my planting myself in the break room (which has a TV) for more than 15 minutes.
It will be on TV in our lunchroom. I may peak at it a couple of times throughout the day, but will get the highlights from the network news at night and from the internet.
Wish I could be there.
Watching is on the web, TV, and drinking champagne in celebration.
I plan to be at work as usual. I'm really waiting for the next day when the Obama issue of Spiderman is released
Hope to watch some on computer at work if I can, but business as usual
Wish I was there for this historic day!
I will be taking two of my grandchildren(ages 11 and 9 1/2) to the inauguration.
(Hopefully) watching it on my advisor's TV, which is always tuned to CNBC...
I live in the DC area and every 4 years we have an additional season, Inauguration. This Inauguration promises to be spectacular.
I'll try to watch some of it.
I will be watching the Inauguration on tv with a group of friends with whom we have been celebrating big events with for 25+ years.
I'll probably have to be working late to make up for the day off on Monday!
Hopefully watching it on TV - if we can jerry-rig our little tv/vcr combo (that we only ever use to show outdated video tapes) to get reception within the building . . .
Watching a condensed version on the web.
Watching it at a big community event. Yes we can!
Crying
We'll have the office TV on.
A friend who works for a Senator scored tickets to the ball 🙂
Praying that the new administration will bring about some real change as promised on campaign trail. So far, it looks like the changes being made consist of bringing back old faces from the Clinton administration. Guess is that as much as things change (i.e., names and faces), things really will remain the same. Change is in the eyes of the beholder.
Checking it out occasionally on the Web - no time to watch the whole event.
If I remember I might flip to it for a few minutes because it's history and because it will probably be interupting my favorite shows. Otherwise, I'll probably use this opportunity to go the gym since I won't have the distraction of the tv.
I would have liked to watch it on TV, but I instead will be spending the day with my new client going through their plan provisions. Should be fun and exciting. I'm also going to miss the season premiere of LOST, which has me a bit disappointed as well. Not as much as missing the Inauguration, but almost.
I'll be working as usual. Now isn't that special?
I will watch highlights on the regular news programs, but I don't plan on watching any extended coverage of it.
I'm sure I'll read about the soaring rhetoric in the newspaper on the 21st. The question is how long it will take before the stories come out about the unfulfilled expectations.
I'll be burying my head in my arms and trying to keep from thinking about the damage President-elect Obama will do to the economy and our national security with his leftist policies. And perhaps planning a move to a remote tropical island to isolate myself from it all!
I overheard plans to place televisions around the office (we cover 10 floors) areas so people can watch/listen to what's happening in Washington.
Bemoaning my decision to move out of DC and therefore not able to offer up on Craigslist a comfy futon and floor space. Half a dozen tenants in my old living room for $200 each? No problem.
Wondering how they can justify the expenditure.
I'll monitor it just because I'm a citizen, although not a very excited one at this point.
Flying out to California for an opening conference.
I will not be watching live but I will record the events so I can watch it later with my 3 boys (8, 6 and 3). They were very interested in the election process and I think that will be interesting to them and a good way to learn about the new president.
Oh, I'll be glued to the TV avidly waiting for the moment when Mr. Obama waves his magic wand over the economy and the war and the health care crisis and the education crisis and the social security nightmare and the crumbling infrastructure mess so that everything is all better.
Will watch the reruns
Working from home to avoid chance of bad traffic in the suburban Washington, DC area.
I'll be working, but would love to see it. Will have to settle for seeing it later on the news.
Regardless of who was or would have been elected.
I'll be working.

«