e3geek

Still confused who people in the US get public holidays. The IL public holiday list on the state website has a list but so far my employer hasn't taken the first two holidays from the list. I am getting crazy which calendar do they follow.

Pulaski

Unless you work for a government (local, state, or federal), or a regulated business (broker or bank), you have no right to ANY "public" holiday. Unions have negotiated certain public holiday rights for certain industries.

Most employers honor New Year's day, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), July 4th, Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas Day. If you get anything more than that, consider yourself lucky. Needless to say, those who work in retail don't get most of those either!

scrubbedexpat097

Unless you work for a government entity a lot of times you will only get major public holidays.

Probably NY Day, Memorial Day, Ind. Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. It is entirely up to your employer really...

Noorah101

It's up to your employer which holidays to give. Your employer should provide you with a list of holidays the company provides each year.

Even within the company I work for, one sector takes some holidays while a different sector takes different ones (because they do government work).

The easiest way for you to know, is to ask your employer for a holiday calendar at the start of each year.

Rene

scrubbedexpat097

...I forgot Labor Day. How could I forget the day that means you cannot wear white shoes anymore because summer is over. ....duh...and me being an Essex girl

Hotscot

I'm confused...how hard is it to ask your employer?

Normally when I started with a new company they would issue a list of benefits including holidays.

e3geek

I am confused why do I have to ask my employer if this is a public holiday?

Hotscot

" I am getting crazy which calendar do they follow."

So ask them?

Not all employers recognize all public holidays. Just wondered why you haven't asked them what ones they do follow.

Or am I misunderstanding your first question? In which case just ignore me.

Noorah101

Because as we've said, different employers recognize different public holidays for their employees.

For example, February 17th is President's Day...a public holiday...no mail service, banks are closed, etc. However, one sector of our company gives employees that day off as a paid holiday. The sector I work for does not. Same company, different sectors, different holiday schedule.

Rene

Pulaski

Well you're more likely to get a definitive answer that asking the question here on BE!

mikelincs

US public holiday, or any sort of holiday, entitlement isn't like the UK, unless you work for the government, then your employer has total discretion as to which, if any, holidays they will honour. A good employer will honour all, but I'm sure there will be those that honour none.

Bluegrass Lass

Because, as has already been pointed out to you, an employer isn't required to give you any public holiday off. Just because the Federal Government considers it a holiday, doesn't mean your employer does.

So, in order to find out what holidays your employer will give, you have to ask them.

Hotscot

You may indeed find out that you have no public holidays or vacation time at all. Or perhaps one week vacation after one year.
Do you even know how much you're getting paid?

Look, we're not taking the piss but there's confusion how you don't know what entitlement you have? Aren't you in a job where you had a written offer outlining pay, health benefits, holidays etc?
That's how it's normally done.

In fact quite often the payslip outlines your vacation accrual also.

Very strange...

Noorah101

How did you find out your employer didn't take the first two holidays from the list? Did you assume it was a paid holiday, and stayed home, and then your boss called you, wondering why you weren't at work? Twice?

Or did you show up for work on the days you thought were holidays, hoping no one would be there, or that someone would be working on that holiday and tell you to go home?

I'm just wondering. Usually people ask this up front, either from their employer, or from others in the office (i.e. you ask the guy in the next cubicle over...hey Jack, are we working next Monday on President's Day, or not?)

Rene

scrubbedexpat097

Yeah, the first 14 years here I worked for doctors and Presidents Day was never a day off. In fact it was always busy because people tend to make appointments when they are off ( you know, like county workers, city workers, mail workers)