Family Day...not for all!

[rktsci]

So as I think everybody knows, February 18th has been declared Family Day by the Ontario Government and it is a new provincial statutory holiday. Shortly after I arrive to work today I receive a memo that says, and I quote...

"as (company name here) is a federally regulated company, we are not bound by the Ontario provincial regulations and, therefore, will not be observing the new provincial statutory Family Day holiday on Feb 18, 2008."

The other justification presented is that our sister office in Calgary also does not observe a similar provincial holiday.

Everyone is our office is pissed off and a brief discussion between myself and company GM in the hallways resulted in him pointing out to me that I can use my vacation time if I need a day off....in a normal year that would be fine with me...except all of my vacation time this year is being reserved for my wedding and honeymoon toward the end of this year!

Needless to say, I really don't feel like doing anything at the office today anymore!

[Flagrum_3]

Hey don't feel so bad, where I work (TTC), stands for Totally Terrible Company, I haven't had a statutory holiday off in over a year, not one...not even Christmas and I'm Roman Catholic...Needless to say I've been forced to work all of them and I'm pissed :flaming


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[zedtech]

I just got the same notice from my HR :flaming


Those employees that are governed under the provincial Employment Standards Act will now have a minimum of 9 statutory holidays. If a provincially governed employee already receives more than nine holiday days, the Act does not require an employer to give another day off. We reviewed our current holiday schedule and Pelmorex employees in Ontario already receive 9 statutory holidays, plus one floater day each year, to be taken at the preference of the employee.

In the case of employees covered by federal labour law, such as employees who work in federally-regulated workplaces such as banks, telecommunications companies, railways and airlines or who are federal civil servants, this new holiday is not mandatory under the Employment Standards Act and Federal government employees will be working on this day.

[Our company] falls under the federal labour law; therefore [we are] not required to offer Family Day as a statutory holiday. In our process to make a decision we canvassed other federal employers and broadcasters to see how they were managing this day. Many broadcasters are not recognizing this provincial holiday.

In light of the above, [we] have decided that this new holiday will not be added to our current statutory holiday offering.


:complain

[CanadaGTO]

Hey zedtech..... the weather does not take a break, neither should you ;)

[zedtech]

Haha! I realized I left the company name in there once and couldn't edit it :blush

Didn't you know that we just spin a wheel here every hour for our forecasts? :chuckle

[Unoriginalusername]

we get floaters for the days that other provinces get that we don't, i actually hope i don't have to lose one of my two and be forced to take this day off in feb vs. being able to use it whenever i want some other time in the year

[matt]

we get floaters for the days that other provinces get that we don't, i actually hope i don't have to lose one of my two and be forced to take this day off in feb vs. being able to use it whenever i want some other time in the year

U work at IBM????, cause this is similar to what we have going

[Unoriginalusername]

U work at IBM????, cause this is similar to what we have going

No i don't, but bad news i just asked and we lose one of our floaters :bang

[S.F.W.]

U work at IBM????, cause this is similar to what we have going
I work for Lenovo, and we have the same thing. They just changed one of our floater days.

[rktsci]

Just think about how many people voted for the Liberal's in the last election with this in their minds and only to get screwed out of it!

Luckily I was able to look past this and consider the true politics at hand.

[Caz]

Just think about how many people voted for the Liberal's in the last election with this in their minds and only to get screwed out of it!

I hope people weren't voting based on one day off a year.

If you really need a day off call in sick!

[lamerking]

Don't hate me for posting this but this was in our company newsletter explaining their views and their decision:


"In October of 2007, the government of Ontario added the third Monday in February to the list of public holidays under the Employment Standards Act. This new holiday, called Family Day, falls on the 18th of February this year. There has been much controversy over how employers will be affected. The reason for this controversy lies in section 5(2) of the Employment Standards Act (ESA).

Section 5(2) of the Employment Standards Act states that if Company policy provides a greater benefit to an employee than the employment standard, then the Company policy applies and the employment standard does not apply. Specifically relating to [OUR COMPANY], we provide more than the nine paid holidays prescribed under the ESA, therefore [OUR COMPANY] does not have to recognize Family Day. In 2007, [OUR COMPANY] provided fourteen paid holidays and therefore provided a greater benefit than the eight that were required to be given in 2007 under the ESA.

[OUR COMPANY] was involved in a survey of several companies in our local community to determine if and how they were recognizing Family Day. Out of 37 companies, 26 will in some way recognize Family Day, while 11 companies will not. Of those recognizing the holiday, some will provide a paid day off on February 18, 2008 while others will apply a floating holiday to this day. Other companies will take away a non-statutory holiday if Family Day is observed.

There has been much discussion among the Management group as to how to recognize this new holiday.

The following factors were considered.

Factor #1
Family Day is scheduled for February 18, 2008. Most of our customers are U.S. based and will require product from [OUR COMPANY] on this date. However, since several of our U.S. customers observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on the third Monday in January and are shut down, we have an opportunity to build ahead on this day so that we can meet the demands of the February holiday.

Factor #2
The School Boards are observing Family Day and all school children will have this day off.

Factor #3
The Civic holiday, which falls on August 4th this year, has been a paid benefit for many years at [OUR COMPANY] even though it is not a statutory holiday. August is a peak vacation month with many Associates off work and in addition, this holiday is not observed by our U.S. customers. This makes it very difficult for us to observe this holiday.

Factor #4
The American Thanksgiving, which falls on November 27th this year, and the following Friday are shut down days for most of our customers. We have in recent years held our physical inventory on the American Thanksgiving so that we could provide work for our Associates, however the following Friday was a work shortage day where we could not provide work. Last year we declared the Friday following the American Thanksgiving the common birthday for all Associates so that we were able to provide pay for this work shortage day.

After much discussion and consideration for both our Associates and for our customers, the following decision was made and applies to all [OUR COMPANY] Associates.

[OUR COMPANY] will observe the Family Day holiday on February 18, 2008. All Associates will be given the day off to spend with their families with pay. (There may be exceptions where some Associates may be required to work. In such cases, the usual rules regarding working on a holiday will apply).

Inventory will no longer be held on the American Thanksgiving so Associates will not be required to work this day. In order to avoid a work shortage situation, the common birthday will now be observed on the American Thanksgiving holiday.

The Civic holiday will now be observed on the Friday following the American Thanksgiving holiday, thus providing all Associates with pay and a long weekend."

I like they way our company discussed this issue and and participated in local surveys to come up with their decision. One of the factors discussed the whole children issue. They receive the holiday and if you don't, you will have to spend money to go out there and find a babysitter resulting in less pay.

I am glad that we have Family Day off (only reason why I voted for Harper) but I have to move my Civic Holiday to Black Friday which I dont have an issue with. In the past, we get American Thanksgiving 3- weekend off even though we are Canadian but now it is going to a 4 day weekend. If I want to take Civic holiday off, I'll use some vacation or banked time or associate credits to do so. A lot of places don't recognize August 4th as a holiday, our company does.

In the end it works out b/c we still receive an extra off in the year. Not too many companies offer 14+ paid holidays. I'm lucky to work at this place.

[crazycanuck]

+1 for Honeywell. I lost Christmas eve.


I work for Lenovo, and we have the same thing. They just changed one of our floater days.

[rktsci]

^^ Lamerking...the explanation provided to you is one that is well thought out and rationalized. I only wish that my company gave such an explanation...all they did was look at what happens at our sister office in Calgary and used that as justification (or so it appears).

[WLS ZMZM]

Unfortunately some companies such as the TTC and where I am CAA are considered required services and are open all the time :p. Which in the long run kind of sucks! As for the Family day, Caa is giving all the employees the day off except the Member Care center... as we are still scheduled. It is done by seniority and it depends on how many people volunteer to work it. It certainly has not turned out to be the holiday that everyone expected it to be and that sucks!!

[crazycanuck]

I thought TTC stood for "Take The Car"


Hey don't feel so bad, where I work (TTC), stands for Totally Terrible Company, I haven't had a statutory holiday off in over a year, not one...not even Christmas and I'm Roman Catholic...Needless to say I've been forced to work all of them and I'm pissed :flaming


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[tweak_s]

I thought TTC stood for "Take The Car"

hahaha.

Sometimes I wish so but.. i'm taking the subway downtown everyday. sucks X_X

[Tokic_o]

off topic, but doesnt Lenovo own IBM?

[Wild Weasel]

The biggest scam is those who are getting it but losing a floater day because of it. That's way worse than not getting it at all!

Until I discussed it with my wife, I had no idea that the reason I have a floater day is because other provinces had an extra holiday. I thought that extra vacation day was just the company being nice. :)

Then she said that they were going to get Family Day but lose Remembrance Day as a holiday. What a scam!

Then she explained that other companies were just taking away the floater day.

Even bigger scam!!

Then I found out that my company is giving us the day and letting us keep our floater day. WOOT!!!! :bana

The intent was to give people another holiday. It's sad that in the end a lot of people are just getting screwed by it.

Of course... getting screwed by the McGuinty gov't is nothing new.

[mazidane]

The other justification presented is that our sister office in Calgary also does not observe a similar provincial holiday.



Thats no justification, I thought Alberta has a Family Day, did a quick wiki search and unless things have changed the 3rd Monday in February is Family Day in Alberta, last time I checked Calgary was in Alberta, unless of course they are applying the whole Federally regulated crap there as well?

BTW do you get Remembrance Day off?

[EvilEric]

off topic, but doesnt Lenovo own IBM?

Lenovo bought the PC division of IBM ie: Desktops and Thinkpads. IBM is still IBM.

[queens49]

I am glad that we have Family Day off (only reason why I voted for Harper).

You mean McGuinty...and I really hope you didn't mean it. Off all the issues, a day off was the deciding factor you.

[mazidane]

Hey don't feel so bad, where I work (TTC), stands for Totally Terrible Company, I haven't had a statutory holiday off in over a year, not one...not even Christmas and I'm Roman Catholic...Needless to say I've been forced to work all of them and I'm pissed :flaming


_3


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Wow, you must not be high up on that seniority list then? I know some TTC workers who are off more than they work!

[Flagrum_3]

Wow, you must not be high up on that seniority list then? I know some TTC workers who are off more than they work!

Well I'm a back-up dispatcher so when the regular dispatcher with some 20 years seniority takes all them holidays off, I'm stuck working.....it still sucks!!


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[KenYork]

I work for a federally regulated company as well, and like most don't get the Family day.

[Xerox]

I stole this from TOP... =p

"Traffic cases in court Feb. 18 are thrown out"
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/294902

[Thunder 3]

That sucks...I have relatives in Europe who legally get several WEEKS of vacation time! Too bad our society doesn't have the same policies in place :(

[rktsci]

BTW do you get Remembrance Day off?

Nope!

[Wild Weasel]

Nope!

I do! I do! :bana

[Cardinal Fang]

That sucks...I have relatives in Europe who legally get several WEEKS of vacation time! Too bad our society doesn't have the same policies in place :(

Ditto. It seems my relatives in Italy are constantly on vacation. Productivity in Italy is the worst in Europe and I'm sure it has partly to do with all the time off.

[SABIO]

Of course... getting screwed by the McGuinty gov't is nothing new.

What has the Provincial government have to do with YOUR company policy.??

I find it funny that employees of federal agencies complain. How do you get paid to do how little work?? Just how may days do you get off in your contracts anyway?

And unions like the TTC and Police... same thing. How many holidays? Time off? Pay for nothing and pensions?? and you have to work the 18th..
BOO-F'N-HOO

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y226/sabio7/crying3.jpg

[Skarbro]

If you work at a bank or government office and do not get Family Day off, then I do not feel sorry for you. You get Remembrance day off while the rest of us do not so now it finally evens out.

[Flagrum_3]

What has the Provincial government have to do with YOUR company policy.??

I find it funny that employees of federal agencies complain. How do you get paid to do how little work?? Just how may days do you get off in your contracts anyway?

And unions like the TTC and Police... same thing. How many holidays? Time off? Pay for nothing and pensions?? and you have to work the 18th..
BOO-F'N-HOO

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y226/sabio7/crying3.jpg



Yo Bro! Before you start shooting off at the mouth, you should educate yourself.I take offense to your comments as I work at the TTC with a BIG emphasis on the WORK part.'Payed for nothing' you probably could'nt do my job let alone handle it (not everyone sits in a booth or a bus)...Pensions, we pay for them; $90 bucks a week comes out of my paycheck...plus I haven't had a Statutory holiday off in over a year as mentioned before...I have to work ****ed up hours; nightshift, no weekends etc; and shifts can be changed without notice....can you say the same? ...Just because its unionized doesn't mean its all Roses.


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[Wild Weasel]

What has the Provincial government have to do with YOUR company policy.??

I find it funny that employees of federal agencies complain. How do you get paid to do how little work?? Just how may days do you get off in your contracts anyway?

And unions like the TTC and Police... same thing. How many holidays? Time off? Pay for nothing and pensions?? and you have to work the 18th..
BOO-F'N-HOO


How little work? Contracts? Who do you think I work for?? The gov't??

I'm not unionized.

And as mentioned above... I've got no complaints. I'm working for a good company so I get the new holiday with no adverse effects. :bana

I just think it sucks for those who don't, who are essentially getting screwed because of this new "holiday".

[Skarbro]

All holidays should be Federally regulated. And there should be no extra holidays for government and bank employees (i.e. Remembrance Day).

[Wild Weasel]

I don't know why you're so hard on gov't and bank employees for getting one extra day. You should concentrate your jealousy on union members instead. They get WAY more days off! :chuckle

[lamerking]

I don't know why you're so hard on gov't and bank employees for getting one extra day. You should concentrate your jealousy on union members instead. They get WAY more days off! :chuckle

I was going through the GM holiday schedule for plants in the states and they get days off that i did not know existed. For example in the month of November they get the following days off:

1. Election day
2. Veterans day
3. Hunting day......WTF???

Yup, 3 different holidays in November. Are they needed? NOPE!

[zedtech]

If you work at a bank or government office and do not get Family Day off, then I do not feel sorry for you. You get Remembrance day off while the rest of us do not so now it finally evens out.
Seriously! Although I know that Scotiabank employees are getting the day off.

[Flagrum_3]

I don't know why you're so hard on gov't and bank employees for getting one extra day. You should concentrate your jealousy on union members instead. They get WAY more days off! :chuckle

I sense some sarcasm in there:chuckle...Anyways not all Union shops are bad in their handling of Holidays, when I worked for McDonnell Douglas/BOEING Aircraft of Canada, we got every statutory holiday, 2+ weeks at Christmas, some of the American holidays, plus a couple of floaters and our 4 weeks vacation every year, all fully paid....Now that was nice!!...almost comparable to the Europeans.


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[justin]

We get it off. No floater day lost.

[ParsM3GT]

another government holiday. all the other families have to work on Family Day. >:(

[cwp_sedan]

Company just sent out a memo letting us know that we normally wouldn't get it off since we already have 9 Stat holidays here, but because of all the hard work we have put in they are honouring the day. :)

[Wild Weasel]

Company just sent out a memo letting us know that we normally wouldn't get it off since we already have 9 Stat holidays here, but because of all the hard work we have put in they are honouring the day. :)

That sounds like their way of saying not to expect it again next year. :D

[cwp_sedan]

That sounds like their way of saying not to expect it again next year. :D

Yeah I guess if we don't work "hard enough" then they may take it away! :chuckle

[bubba1983]

strange enuff, my now ex workplace is honouring the day, AND the civic holiday!

thought that was kinda wierd given the crapshoot of things that have been going on in there recently!