slo’s MONDAY 1/15 poll - MLK Day

[PollyannaMom]

I'm currently at home, but when I was substitute teaching, we had MLK day off and taught about him in the week leading up to the holiday.

DH has off (biotech) and DS doesn't (retail).

 

[DisneyHardin]

I'm a teacher. There is no school today.

 

[Skywalker3]

Federal workers here. We are off today, always off on MLK day. Previous job was also a government job in Louisiana, so have always had it off.
However, it's also snowing here, and likely school will be closed tomorrow, so they would've been off anyway, Many local businesses that would've usually been open, are closed today for weather.

 

[1420Elexismc]

I've never worked anywhere that had MLK day off...I always say that if I ever left my current job, I would try to find something that has federal holidays off.

 

[AquaDame]

I always had MLK day off in school; it promoted discussion about him and his legacy during the time leading up to it.

When I was an hourly worker in food/beverage I did not get it off.

When I had a job that was education adjacent I got it off, but did not at my first retail IT job.

My current advertising company (I’m still in IT there fwiw) gives federal holidays off.

My husbands’ work only gives the ‘major’ federal holidays off which is what I remember my parents getting when they worked. Memorial, 4th of July, Labor, Thanksgiving (and Black Friday), plus the week of Xmas through New Years Day. No MLK/presidents/indigenous peoples day for them.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I taught in middle school, high school and college and I always had the day off. I am retired now, and have been since 2014.

 

[nene0182]

I’ve never had MLK day off so I am working today. I did take an hour off this morning to run to a doctors appointment though. It’s freezing out there!

 

[RedAngie]

Retired now but none of my previous jobs observed MLK Day as a paid holiday. You could take the day off as miscellaneous PTO but I never did.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

This is my 25th year of teaching. We have had the day off for the past 10 years or so. Before that we either had school or it could be used for a snow make up day.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Office is closed today. However, I'm using the time to get some work done that I'm backlogged on.

 

[tony67]

Ive never worked anywhere that had MLK day off.

I have worked somewhere that had VJ day off though - Rhode Island is that last state to have it. Was nice to have a day off in the middle of August, but id guess 90% of the people I worked with had no idea what it was about.

 

[CGB]

My school has the day off today, which I'm glad due to the sub-zero temps we're having. Those bus stops at these temps are brutal.

I'm also a U.S. history teacher. We will be hitting the 1950s in a couple of decades and will jump feet first into the modern civil rights movement. My kids are always ready to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as a few other names they've never heard. When we do our quarterly research, lots of kids always choose MLK for their topic. As I tell the kids, the more I learn about him and the longer I live, the more I realize the magnitude of his accomplishments.

For those interested, my all-time favorite movie portrayal of MLK was done by Jeffrey Wright in HBO's Boycott movie from 2001. The full movie is currently on youtube:

 

[NYCgrrl]

Unfortunately, I still recall some of the politics of the time ( hey Helms, hope it’s not too warm wherever you are…maybe) so excuse me if I wait for some other generation to look at the topic more objectively.

All I’ll say in mixed company is I had the day off for most of my working life and thanks for that.
Children in at least NYC have had the day off prior to Reagan’s move.

 

[amylevan]

I am working. My company gives 10 holidays a year and MLK day is not one of them.

However, 95% of our clients are state DOTs, counties, or other transportation agencies, so they are all closed today. That makes it an easy day with no constant email or phone calls to deal with.

 

[leebee]

I work at the University of Maine, and today is a paid holiday. However, I am working because the semester starts tomorrow and I have photocopying and such to do. We took last week off for vacation, so I am catching up on what I should have been doing last week.

We have a fairly generous paid holiday schedule: New Year's Day, MLK Day, President's Day, Patriot's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 4th of July, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas. Administration usually gives us an extra day around Christmas and/or New Year's, depending on when the holiday actually falls.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I'm also a U.S. history teacher.

You teach one of, if not THE most important subject in school. Bravo to you.

Patriot's Day,

When I first moved to Mass, I had no idea what this was as we don't celebrate it in Michigan. At first, I honestly thought it was a day dedicated to the New England Patriots. Through their intense peals of laughter, my students informed me that it's to celebrate the battles of Lexington and Concorde. Oops.

 

[soccerdad72]

Work for a college, we’re off today. I don’t remember if I had the day off when I worked for a public company. I think we did.

 

[CdnCarrie]

There is no stat holiday in January where I live.

 

[MommaKetch]

But if they were in school, they’d be educated about him, and to me, that honors MLK more than having the day off.

I am home, as I am currently a SAHM. DS12 has school, although it is a day of service and 2.5 hours shorter than a normal school day. DD9 goes to a different school, and she is home today. I will pick up my DS soon, and am curious to hear about his day. I do know one of the volunteer activities was filling backpacks to donate to children who are displaced.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Our company was open today (as it always is for MLK), but since UPS was not doing pick ups today, we were done by noon and everyone went home. So basically a half day. In my opinion ,kind of a waste to have us all come in....just give us the day off and be done with it....but I don't own the company so off to work I went this morning. Of course, none of the owners or immediate family came in LOL.