In every issue, we take one reader’s question and ask our other readers to weigh in. Here’s what you had to say about a recent question:
We want to make our holiday policy more inclusive, and we’re looking for another way to say that employees get “Christmas” and “Easter Sunday,” etc., off. Any ideas?
Here’s what you had to say:
- We avoid mentioning religious holidays whenever possible and issue a new holiday calendar each year that lists only the dates. For example, “This year the plant will be closed on the following dates: November 27, November 28, December 25,” etc. — Q.L.
- We don’t give employees any holidays off. They use their paid time off (PTO) to take off the days they want, which often (but not always) includes religious holidays. We make sure to give them sufficiently generous PTO banks so they have enough to take off most of the holidays we’re able to anticipate, with time left over for vacations, sick days, etc. — E.J.
- What’s wrong with calling the holidays “Christmas,” “Yom Kippur,” and so on? That’s what they’re called. I don’t think that using their recognized names is disrespectful or something that must be avoided at all costs. — K.H.
- Besides their PTO banks, our employees are given 12 “floating holidays” every year to be used when and how they see fit. That way we treat Christmas, Independence Day, and Arbor Day—or even an employee’s birthday, if that’s a day he or she wants to take off—all the same. — R.D.
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