American Thanksgiving question

[Ruthiesmama]

I work for a large investment firm and we only get Thursday off. If the stock market was closed for the entire day as a holiday then Friday would also be a paid holiday for us. The stock market holidays are our paid holidays.

 

[lauradis]

Most schools, yes. Most offices, no. At least in NYC. If you don't want to work, you have to take a vacation day or whatever your company calls it.

I stand corrected. Wonder what the percentage off vacation day usage is for black Friday? im guessing its high.

 

[minnie1012]

I stand corrected. Wonder what the percentage off vacation day usage is for black Friday? im guessing its high.

I actually have never taken it off. It's usually a quiet day and we can leave early. I always prefer to use what few days I had left to take either on Christmas Eve or to go shopping a day in December.

 

[clori]

My dh's company gets the day after Thanksgiving off with pay (though they know it is not really a holiday) in exchange for working on Columbus Day. If July 4th falls on a Tuesday or Thursday they get Monday or Friday off instead of president's day. The company tries to have the same number of paid days off in each country they are located in.

I worked in retail and a nursing home where the Friday after Thanksgiving was considered a regular work day. I worked Thanksgiving and Christmas Day (usually in the nursing home kitchen) with holiday pay plus a different day off with pay.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Here's my holiday list for 2014:

1/1/2014 - New Year's
1/20/14 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
2/17/14 - Presidents' Day
5/26/14 - Memorial Day
7/4/14 - Independence Day
9/1/14 - Labor Day
11/11/14 - Veterans' Day
11/27 & 11/28/14 - Thanksgiving
12/24/14 - Close at 3PM for Christmas Eve
12/25/14 - Christmas

These are all with pay, but again please note I am a salaried employee (I think we all are here, actually).

 

[Minnesota!]

My company was open - as long as the stock market is, we are.

I took it as a vacation day, though.

DH's company was closed, but he was on call. No calls came though, WOO HOO!

 

[njmom47]

In my office, we all get paid for Thanksgiving. As far as Friday, hourly workers get the day off as a paid day. (I always work about a half day or so, therefore I get OT ). Salaried employees have to work that day or use a paid day off.
At my husband's place of employment, he goes in a full day.
DS's school had half days Mon Tue Wed for teacher's conferences, and Thurs and Fri off.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I work in a school now, we were out from Wednesday through today; we go back tomorrow. We get today because it is the first day of deer season.

For fourteen uears, i worked in a hospital. The day after Thanksgiving (as well as Christmas Eve) was not a holiday, paid or otherwise. The hospital offices were open, as well as xray, surgery, and obviously ER. You could use a vacation day IF you could get it approved. I worked in the billing office, and one person per specialty (biller, cash posting, etc) was allowed off at a time. We also could not have that day off more than one year in a row. We only got 6 holidays a year- New Year's day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

My hisband is a flight paramedic; they don't get holidays at all. He is off both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year because they don't fall on his normal days to work. He worked three Thanksgivings and two Christmases in a row, though, ending with last year.

 

[LBIJim]

. Wonder what the percentage off vacation day usage is for black Friday? im guessing its high.

In my company, about 90% of the employees used PTO to take Black Friday off. It's about the same percentage for Christmas Eve.

I rarely take either day off. Like a PP mentioned, those days usually have a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere, and we tend to take long breaks and leave early without repercussion. I'd rather use my PTO during other times of the year.

One thing I've noticed over the past few years. With stores open on Thanksgiving day or midnight the day after, Black Friday AM normal rush hour traffic is much lighter than it used to be.

Jim

 

[NotUrsula]

I think that a lot of office-type workplaces have gone over to being closed that day if it is no big loss to them to do so, because schools ARE almost universally closed that day, and any employees who have children to care for are going to take off work anyway if that is at all possible.

In the US, Thanksgiving is also most commonly THE command-performance holiday when your parents expect you to visit them. Again, that causes many more employees to take the day off anyway because they will be traveling, so unless there is profit in staying open, there isn't much point.

As to Columbus Day being lost for this gain, that was always mostly an East Coast city holiday. Never in my life did I ever get Columbus Day off, but most of the places I have worked have been closed on the day after Thanksgiving since at least the late 1970's.

 

[ImDMous]

I work in software and we are closed Thursday and Friday with pay. Dh works for the state and he also got Thursday and Friday with pay. Mom has a retail/showroom job and got Thursday off paid. Friday they were closed but they had to work the Saturday before to get paid.

 

[CdnCarrie]

In the US, Thanksgiving is also most commonly THE command-performance holiday when your parents expect you to visit them. Again, that causes many more employees to take the day off anyway because they will be traveling, so unless there is profit in staying open, there isn't much point.

I have read that Thanksgiving is a bigger holiday in the USA while in Canada it's Christmas. Thanksgiving in Canada isn't that big of a deal. it's on a Monday and most people are off (with stat holiday pay) on Monday. However most have family dinners on Sunday evening with Monday just being a lazy day off. Stores are often open 12-5 or whatever on the Monday.

 

[minkydog]

No, I don't think thanksgiving is bigger than Christmas in the US. It's probably in the top 3. I'd say Thanksgiving is likely to be the most heartfelt holiday, as it is all about celebration with none of the gift-buying drama. For that reason, it is my favorite, even above Christmas.

 

[tvguy]

I work for the state of California and we have both Thursday and Friday off. It changed years ago as they took away Columbus Day and gave us the friday after Thanksgiving off as most people requested it off anyway. We are salaried so its paid for.

Banks were closed Thursday but open on Friday.

Columbus Day is interesting in California. Some state offices were closed for the holiday this year, anything that had to do with the state courts was closed. State Department of Education was closed. I have no idea how that happened. I had to try to put together a list of what was open and closed, the schools were the worst. Some open, some closed for the day, and some had my favorite thing listed "Non-Instruciton day". When I drove by one of that districts schools, it was locked up and said 'Holiday" on the message board.
And this past weekend, don't get me started on Small Business Saturday. I stopped at the mom and pop Jewelry store and the cake/candy supply store.....both closed Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and in the case of the cake/candy supply store, closed Monday too!

 

[Handbag Lady]

My company considers Thanksgiving and FAT (Friday After Thanksgiving) both holidays. Although I am a salary employee, it is a section of my compensation package under paid holidays.

 

[Missy1961]

I think that a lot of office-type workplaces have gone over to being closed that day if it is no big loss to them to do so, because schools ARE almost universally closed that day, and any employees who have children to care for are going to take off work anyway if that is at all possible.

In the US, Thanksgiving is also most commonly THE command-performance holiday when your parents expect you to visit them. Again, that causes many more employees to take the day off anyway because they will be traveling, so unless there is profit in staying open, there isn't much point.

As to Columbus Day being lost for this gain, that was always mostly an East Coast city holiday. Never in my life did I ever get Columbus Day off, but most of the places I have worked have been closed on the day after Thanksgiving since at least the late 1970's.

I work in NYC and I've never had Columbus Day off. And the trains run a regular schedule & they're pretty busy in the morning and that's when the commuters ride, so I know I'm not the only one working. Same thing for Veteran's Day.

I've worked for the same company for 30 years and we've never been closed on Thanksgiving. Some people save a day for it and others don't care. This year, in my department about 6 of 20 of us took the day off. And as far as I know, most offices are open that day - at least that's what my friends and family deal with. I've never worked that day so I don't know what the trains are like. I know they run on a regular schedule that day too.

I also think that for each family, the holiday that is the "command performance" day is different. For my family, we make an effort to get together for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the one that everyone usually makes is Christmas. When my mom was alive, she didn't care when anyone visited.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Here in the Atlanta, GA, area most of our schools take the full week of Thanksgiving off. As far as everyone else, well, that depends on who you work for. I my current job, I got Thanksgiving holiday and the Friday after. the same thing will happen at Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This has not been the case in my other jobs.

I have the Friday after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday, but not Xmas Eve.

 

[NotUrsula]

I have read that Thanksgiving is a bigger holiday in the USA while in Canada it's Christmas. Thanksgiving in Canada isn't that big of a deal. it's on a Monday and most people are off (with stat holiday pay) on Monday. However most have family dinners on Sunday evening with Monday just being a lazy day off. Stores are often open 12-5 or whatever on the Monday.

Oh, I don't think that Thanksgiving here is in any way bigger than Christmas; but I do think that it is the most commonly-observed "home-going" holiday; when extended families are most likely to gather these days.

The other two common alternative holidays for your parents to insist that you make it for may be Christmas or Easter (well, at least if your family is Christian, that is), but a lot of folks dodge doing either of those holidays with extended family these days because of either gift issues, religion issues, or let's-not-give-the-kids-so-much-candy-issues. As Thanksgiving is relatively non-denominational and doesn't require gifts or lots of sweets; many people consider it much more neutral in terms of opportunity for inter-familial strife.

PS: As to Thanksgiving being "heartfelt"; I'd say I certainly have a spot in my heart for it: a dark spot. IME it is always a grueling domestic-work marathon. This year I was on my feet nonstop either cooking or cleaning the kitchen from 10 am - 5:30 pm, and again from 6:30 pm until 9 pm. That's fairly typical, and I really don't find all that manual labor particularly enjoyable.

 

[sasywtch]

Columbus Day is interesting in California. Some state offices were closed for the holiday this year, anything that had to do with the state courts was closed. State Department of Education was closed. I have no idea how that happened. I had to try to put together a list of what was open and closed, the schools were the worst. Some open, some closed for the day, and some had my favorite thing listed "Non-Instruciton day". When I drove by one of that districts schools, it was locked up and said 'Holiday" on the message board.
And this past weekend, don't get me started on Small Business Saturday. I stopped at the mom and pop Jewelry store and the cake/candy supply store.....both closed Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and in the case of the cake/candy supply store, closed Monday too!

Dept of Education closed is strange as we are under the same union contract. The only thing I can think of is that they are under an elected official which I have found they make their own rules (think the state Controller!)

 

[minkydog]

PS: As to Thanksgiving being "heartfelt"; I'd say I certainly have a spot in my heart for it: a dark spot. IME it is always a grueling domestic-work marathon. This year I was on my feet nonstop either cooking or cleaning the kitchen from 10 am - 5:30 pm, and again from 6:30 pm until 9 pm. That's fairly typical, and I really don't find all that manual labor particularly enjoyable.

Well, that's certainly unfair. Why was it all your responsibility?

In my household, Thanksgiving is a family affair from start to finish. DD20 cooks most of the pies and about half of the meal. I usually roast the turkey and make the dressing and cranberry sauce. My mom often chops the vegetables and DH sets the table with the fine china. And DS27 is in charge of walking my buddy Christian so he doesn't get into trouble. After the dinner, I take a rest and we watch a movie. Later in the afternoon, 2-3 of us will gather in the kitchen to wash things up. Thankfully, none of us drinks or watches football so we don't have all that drama. Just pie and coffee.