Bank / Public Holidays ...

[sue.falstaff]

Today (Good Friday) & Monday (Easter Monday) are both bank holidays for me ... woo-hoo!!! Here in the UK we get 8 bank holidays each year; 1 in January, 2 at Easter time, 2 in May, 1 in August & 2 at Christmas time.

So then I got to wondering, how many bank / public holiday days does the rest of the world get each year???

 

[LaurieW]

I used to get 6 - New Years, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now that a hospital has purchased the clinic where I work- we get zero. We would get time and a half if we worked that day, but we are not open, so we get to use the time we have accrued for time away (vacation and sick pay) to pay for the day we are not open to get our full pay check. Not my fave change, but it is what it is.

 

[clarabear]

I work for the government so I get them all...there's 10 altogether not including Christmas Eve since that was only given to us last year randomly and at the last minute.
Presidents Day
Martin Luther King Day
Veterans Day
Columbus Day
Memorial Day
Labor Day
Christmas
Christmas Eve (only last year)
New Years
Independence Day
Thanksgiving

When I worked at a regular hospital I only got 6 and like Laurie the hours were in my vacation pay. They gave us extra hours but that's still where it came from.

 

[faerywings]

When I worked at the preschools we got very few- Memorial Day, Labor Day, Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and 4th of July.

Laurie-- that really is not fair, but like you said, what can you do?? meh.

 

[hondachicc]

Sue.....when you call it a "bank holiday" (I know that means you are off from work) but does it mean the banks are closed that day? or does it mean banked day (as in reserved) Here in the US we call them Federal Holidays....that means the Govt is shut down.....but not necessarily the banks....the banks here are not allowed to be closed two consecutive banking days in a row...so never allowed to be closed Friday then Monday also....banking days are Monday thru Friday....Sat and Sun don't count...around here some banks are open half day on Saturdays as a courtesy to their customers but no banks are open on Sundays.

 

[sue.falstaff]

Yup - banks & [majority] of offices are closed ... retail stores / supermarkets etc are open, but all government run establishments (council offices etc) are all closed, along with the banks.

I always thought we had it rough in the UK with just 8 days, but it sounds like you girls in the USA have it even tougher!!! I think many of my European neighbours have even more days than me!

 

[petey111]

A lot of public schools, despite being govt run, don't get all the bank holidays off. But our salary is divided out over 12 months instead of 10, so...in a way, we get them anyway.