SURVEY SAYS: Working Columbus Day?

October 4, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Monday is Columbus Day - a day set aside in commemoration of the October 12, 1492, arrival of Christopher Columbus and his expedition in the Americas.

However, despite its establishment as a federal holiday, many Americans won’t get the day off.  

This week, I asked readers if they would, and found that, despite the closure of government offices, many banks, and the suspension of U.S. mail delivery, the vast majority (nearly 85% ) will be at their posts just like any other Monday – and about 6% of those work for a bank or government agency.   Even, as one reader noted, “And we’re in Columbus, Ohio!”    

On the other hand, one reader noted, However, with the 5500 extension date looming, I may be taking a floating holiday another week soon !”  Another noted, “Because approximately 90% of other companies we deal with do have the day off, we basically have an in-house day off.”  Another, more succinctly, responded simply, “This was a joke question, right?”   In fact, “you’re kidding” – or words to that effect was a common response to this question this week.

That may in some part be related to the reality that for the vast majority of this week’s respondents who are not getting the day off – 85.5% – say they never have had the holiday.   As one reader noted, “It may be a federal holiday but, it’s not a real holiday!”   Among the minority that once had the holiday – but now don’t, most got a floating holiday as a replacement, or received another holiday in its place (extended time around the end of year holidays was common).  “They also dropped Veteran’s Day and gave us a floating holiday and Good Friday,” noted one.

Other verbatims:

“We are off and I did not realize it until just now. Thanks to the survey I will not go to work on Monday as the Lone Ranger.”

“My workplace doesn’t recognize it as a holiday, but I found out this morning that my daughter’s day care does. Nice for them, and not so nice for me.”

“The holidays I get since moving to the public sector are amazing. I have never before had Columbus Day or Veterans Day off.”

“RAOFLMAO”( which to the text messaging-impaired is translated as “rolling around on the floor laughing my a* off )

“Are you kidding with our October 15th deadline coming so fast – we are here on the weekends…. We are almost living here, we go home to shower, sleep, let family members know we are alive & then it is back to the office… After this deadline I am sending a petition to give us a Holiday just for the fun of it. Perhaps we can sail off & discover something… :)”

“I work in a bank, and we get all the Fed holidays, and Columbus Day is one of those days.   I will be celebrating it in the most appropriate way.   Sincesailed to, I will be sailing with my husband.”

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who noted, “No, Nina and Maria and I will be working.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

However, with the 5500 extension date looming, I may be taking a floating holiday another week soon.
Are you kidding?
are you kidding?!?!?!
Not many holidays here.
My workplace doesn't recognize it as a holiday, but I found out this morning that my daughter's day care does. Nice for them, and not so nice for me.
But if our office were in Berkeley, we'd probably be closed for Indigenous Peoples' Day (10/10)
I wish we would be closed. It's one of those difficult holidays where local schools and daycares are closed, but both my husband and I have to work. We get burnt twice a year: Columbus Day and Presidents Day.
But I will be off to recover from running the Twin Cities marathon on Sunday.
I work for a bank-owned asset management firm that follows the stock market holiday schedule. Therefore, we don't get Columbus or Veterans Days off, but we do get Good Friday off, since the stock market is closed that day. However, all of our operational support staff are bank employees, so we are limited in our work capabilities on Columbus and Veterans Days, to some extent.
Instead of getting all of the federal holidays off, my employer made the decision to close on most federal holidays and to close between December 24 - December 26, which for me is a most welcome holiday present.
We get to pick two optional holidays a year, and this is one of the options. I am choosing not to take it.
We'd be closed if the market was closed....
It's a bit of a working holiday for us, as we won't get mail, and since most of our customers are government employees, they assume we're closed and don't call in.
This was a joke question, right?
Only six holidays per year at this AAA Club...we have to be open to serve our members (or pay double-time to those that work on a holiday -- hence, not many!) My Italian side would like it off. As would all the Philly phans staying up for a late Sunday play-off game!
Are you kidding with our October 15th deadline coming so fast - we are here on the weekends.... We are almost living here, we go home to shower, sleep, let family members know we are alive & then it is back to the office... After this deadline I am sending a petition to give us a Holiday just for the fun of it. Perhaps we can sail off & discover something... 🙂
Your joking. We get New Years, Memorial day, 4th of July, Labor day, Thanksgiving -2 days and Christmas eve and day. You want more then that you use vacation time.
I work for a TPA firm and it is quarter end.
I work for an Investment Adviser and Independent Insurance agent and we have to work on Monday. Banks are closed and we STILL have to work. It makes no sense. Sitting around staring at Google all day I guess.
We are off and I did not realize it until just now. Thanks to the survey I will not go to work on Monday as the Lone Ranger.
The holidays I get since moving to the public sector are amazing. I have never before had Columbus Day or Veterans Day off.
Even though we cannot process any transactions due to the market being closed we are still open and expected to enthusiatically remind our clients that while we are open and working any transactions set up on Monday will not process until Tuesday.
And we're in Columbus, Ohio!
Our law firm gives "half staff" holidays for Columbus Day and Veterans Day -- half of the staff get Columbus Day off and the other half get Veterans Day off -- but our law firm is officially open both days, which means that lawyers and paralegals get neither day off...but in fairness, our firm is always closed on the day after Thanksgiving
we're open when the stock exchange is open
As a mutual fund company, we're only closed (or close early) for NYSE holidays.
I will be working but many of my coworkers will not. I work in the US but my company also has locations in Canada where Columbus Day (US) is Thanksgiving Day. And yes, they do play football on Thanksgiving in Canada.
I work for a private, nonprofit social service agency
In Santa Cruz, CA where I work many organizations celebrate "Native American Day" as an alternative to Columbus Day. You must understand...this is Santa Cruz where many, especially our politicans, strive to be politically correct.
It may be a federal holiday but, it's not a real holiday!
Yes, our office is closed but our trust company is not and since they are several states away I am spending Monday flying to their office for a Tuesday meeting. Our Trust Company does get a floating holiday in lieu of the office being closed that day. Since I am working I will take a compensating day off on another day. I would not have scheduled this meeting the day after a holiday but I have to be up there for other reasons on Wednesday/Thursday so it made sense to make one trip instead of two.
I work for a retail establishment and we're hoping all those lucky persons who have the day off will choose to shop at our stores - or online! Happy shopping lucky people!
The stock market doesn't recognize holidays commemorating Columbus, Ohio...
Are you kidding--we only get 6 paid holidays and the day after Thanksgiving isn't one of them!!
We only get stock market holidays off.
Maybe if the U.S. called it Columbo Day (using his given name, Christoforo Columbo - he was Italian), we might consider...not. How come Columbo's name was converted to the Anglo version, but not Marco Polo's? As kids, we should have been playing Mark Pole in the pool.
My daughter's Junior High School will also not be closed on Columbus day.
HA! NO WAY! (I MAY PERSONALLY SHUT DOWN AT ABOUT 3 PM.)
But, of course, my kid's school is closed ... so I have to take a vacation day.
Being a third generation italian/american from the northeast and working in montgomery alabama, it is businees as usual at the office on Monday.
I work for an investment firm - we are never closed.
No, Nina and Maria and I will be working.
RAOFLMAO
I work for a just-turned private company, and we don't recognize Columbus Day. My husband is in the military, and he'll have the day off.

Yes and no. I work two jobs, one will be closed (non-bank) while the other remains open (trust company). Luckily, I work at the one that will be closed on Monday.


Yep!   The bank's doors will be closed and locked, and my alarm clock will not be thrown across the room until Tuesday.


Our workplace will be open on Monday.   I will, however, take the day off in order to be able to go to the Sunday Night Football game and watch my Green Bay Packers whup up on the Chicago Bears!

Have a great day!

Traded many years ago as part of negotiated compensation packages.
Traded for the day after Thanksgiving.
While we usually close for Columbus Day, this year we traded the day for December 31, 2007 in order to have a 4-day weekend over New Years.
We're lucky we get Christmas and New Years!
I can't remember if we ever had this as a holiday.
About 4 years ago, our company started to schedule holidays around the Stock Market. And since the Stock Market is open on Columbus Day so are we.
As far as I know, our office has never had Columbus Day off. Although, because approximately 90% of other companies we deal with do have the day off, we basically have a in house day off.
It was an annually determined company designated floating holiday many years ago so never an annual holiday and has not been a holiday in decades.
They also dropped Veteran's Day and gave us a floating holiday and Good Friday.
We're in retail....we rarely close!
New management decided to align holidays with the Market.

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