The vast majority of American workers will be lucky enough to be paid and have the opportunity to sleep during the four-day Thanksgiving 2016 weekend, according to findings from Bloomberg BNA’s annual nationwide survey of holiday practices. According to the seminal survey of U.S. employers, which has been conducted annually since 1980, a full four in five employers will grant workers Thanksgiving and the following day off with pay. Bloomberg BNA, wholly-owned by Bloomberg L.P., provides legal, tax and compliance professionals with critical information, practical guidance and workflow solutions.
“A robust economy may be the reason behind so many employers being so generous with time off during the holiday,” said Molly Huie, manager, Surveys and Reports, Bloomberg BNA. “However, as is typically the case on national holidays, some workers are required to punch the clock, and this year three in 10 employers are will require some employees to spend a day at the office.”
Among the survey’s other key findings:
Those that work on Thanksgiving will get a little extra stuffing in their wallets. Over eight in 10 organizations (84%) that have employees laboring on Thanksgiving will provide some form of extra compensation, including time-and-one-half pay (36%), double pay (22%), and both extra pay and compensation time (12%).
Large employers are four times as likely to require some to work. Sixty-four percent of large organizations (those with over 1,000 employees) will require some to pull a holiday shift, as compared to only 16% of small organizations.
Employees responsible for public safety, security, maintenance or technology support are most likely to be required to work on Thanksgiving. Security and public safety workers (16%), service and maintenance staff (13%), and technicians (10%) are most likely to draw holiday shifts.
Workers in manufacturing are most likely to get four paid days off. Over nine in 10 (91%) of manufacturers indicated they will provide a paid holiday to all or most of their employees on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, compared with 81% of non-business organizations — such as schools, police departments, municipalities, and hospitals — and 74% of non-manufacturing companies.
Thanksgiving gifts are not the norm for workers. Thanksgiving gifts are not the norm, as only 22% of employers pay to give their employees gifts or host holiday luncheons or dinners.
Bloomberg BNA has been tracking Thanksgiving employer practices since 1980 and this year’s survey is based on a survey of senior human resource and employee relations executives representing nearly 450 employers. The survey was administered in September 2016 and respondents represent a wide range of U.S. employers across a range of industries. Bloomberg offers complimentary copy of the report on its website (free registration required).
