While school kids play and bank workers save 10% at the department store and government officials look for new ways to incriminate themselves, there’s a good chance you’re suffering the day away at work.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, only 1 in 10 companies shut their doors and give employees a much-needed reprieve on Columbus Day.
While some of us look forward to the second Month in October to "celebrate" the least-observed federal holiday, many others will experience yet another generic, bleary-eyed Monday.
President FDR made Columbus Day a federal holiday in 1937. And while the holiday has its fair share of detractors (85% of the Native American population was wiped out with 150 years of Columbus’s "discovery), how will forcing me to work an extra eight hours help matters? Without a De Lorean, we’re all stuck.
Opposition continues to grow.
Minnesota and Nevada ignore the holiday.
South Dakota renamed it "Native American Day."
People can continue to find fault with all American holidays. They’re all "too religious" or "too political." The bottom line is – if you give employers the opportunity to snatch days off away from us – you better believe they will.
So if you’re one of the 10 folks off today, get the hell off the computer and enjoy. If you’re stuck at work, give your employer the finger by giving this story a Digg!
I could care less if Columbus set out to find America or stumbled on it accidentally – just give me the lousy day off! Someone out there can find fault with just about every holiday, from Veterans’ Day (if you’re hardcore anti-war) to Martin Luther King Jr. Day (the unionization of America). Heck, even Groundhog Day has its detractors.
Chill out people. With only 10 vacation days a year, I need every day off I can get.
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