Labor Day is just around the corner here in the United States, always falling on the first Monday of September. This Federal holiday was created in the late 19th century as a response to the ongoing Labor Movement when at the time the average worker was working in dangerous, unhealthy conditions. Without any job security, benefits, or protections for their hard work. Workers, including children, often worked long hours, twelve or more hours a day, working up to seven days a week with very little wages earned. Now, we as American workers, work under labor protections, laws, and rights.
Labor Day is meant to be a celebration of American worker's achievements past and present!
The first-holiday celebration was September 5th, 1882 in New York City. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the holiday is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Healthcare Compliance Pros recommends having their client's policies and procedures, including vacation and holiday pay, well communicated to all their employees. Federal holidays such as Labor Day, are typically handled one of four ways for employees:
- Paid holiday - not required in the United States; however, many employers provide holiday pay as a benefit for their employees.
- Regular workday - under Federal laws, holidays are considered regular workdays; meaning, employers are only obligated to pay employees their normal pay for time worked (unless a non-exempt worker goes into overtime due to working holiday).
- Time and a half or other incentive to work - as an incentive to work a holiday, some employers will offer time and half pay or even double-time pay for employees who choose to or may be required to work the holiday.
- Vacation or "paid time off" used for holidays - some employers have policies requiring employees to use accrued paid time off for holidays.
Whether your organization treats Labor Day as a paid holiday, a regular workday, or an incentive workday, we would like to say thank you! Thank you for the work that you do, and we hope that you will have an opportunity to celebrate your achievements.