More Holidays For Corporate America, Please!

It hit me as I was answering a question about why “our birthday” is no longer a company holiday … Why hasn’t anyone asked me, "Why don’t we get Jan. 16 as a holiday?" At first, my personal selfish aggravation came only because I thought, “Great, now I have to get a sitter since school is closed, but we have to work.”  Then I began to think about it beyond the babysitter.

Several years ago at my previous company, the Presidents' Day holiday was taken away and replaced with the MLK, Jr. holiday. At that time, it created some dissatisfaction about why we would discontinue observing our Presidents holiday.  The assertion was that, if anything, we should proceed honoring both holidays. 

I realize the economy has not been stellar, and all companies are trying to render the most productivity out of each and every employee, every single working day of the year; but it still poses an interesting question … why don’t “we,” meaning the people of the United States of America, (that would be all schools and all corporations), treat both holidays as meaningful and important and in turn, give employees the day off from work? 

Now, mind you, neither of these holidays take place on any of these important individuals' birthdays. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed the third Monday of January. This year, it falls very close to his real birthday of Jan. 15. If my memory from my elementary school days serves me correctly, I believe we are celebrating George Washington's and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays on Presidents' Day Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. These three-day weekend observances are brought to you courtesy of the passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968. 

This brings me back to my original pondering … why don’t all corporations observe both the MLK, Jr. holiday and the Presidents' Day holiday given the importance of all three of these individuals and the invaluable lessons they provide our children and many generations to come? Their bravery, determination, selflessness and spirit embody American values, right?

Once upon a time, the good working people of this country weren’t given lunch breaks, or insurance or many workplace rights at all … how did they get them? They walked off the job, they protested, they demanded it. Now, I’m not suggesting we all make signs and protest outside our job nor am I suggesting any sort of strike; however, perhaps the single act of a large majority of employees taking a vacation day on Jan. 16 might work? You decide ... .