Accommodating the needs of diverse employees is not a recent phenomenon. Due to industrialization and globalization, over the last few decades people from across the world immigrated to the United States and joined the workforce. Diversity within the United States especially increased after the Hart-Cellar Act of 1965, which removed existing immigration quotas. This created greater awareness of different cultural and social values and the need to accommodate these, including the provision of personal days. Due to publicity within the media and advocacy efforts by various groups, the concept of floating holidays, where an employee can take discretionary paid time-off from work has gained momentum because it fosters a sense of belonging and inclusivity.
Given our very diverse workforce, the significance of respecting and accommodating different customs, traditions, and celebrations cannot be overstated. Most companies offer time off during traditional or religious holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. Many cultures and religions also observe other holidays, which often follow the lunar calendar, with the specific day of the holiday changing from year to year. Employees require time off from work to spend time with friends and family, but when they will need to take this time cannot be predetermined. This can become cumbersome for some employees especially small enterprises. By offering floating holidays, organizations can demonstrate greater inclusivity and allow their employees to celebrate cultural or religious events that are close to their heart on the day that best suits them. Floating holidays are not reserved for only those who follow a different faith, culture, or tradition, but can also be used to relax and re-charge.
Some companies also offer their employees the opportunity to take the day off on their birthday. However, if their birthday falls on a weekend or on a public holiday, they can take a floating day off from work at any other time. For example, if someone’s birthday is on Dec 25th, which is already a public holiday, they can take another day off. Floating holidays are separate from PTO and might range from one day to three days per year. Technology companies such as Google and Microsoft offer floating holidays as a part of their benefits package. Many educational institutions have also recently started providing floating holidays to their employees. Some offer paid floating holidays to their full-time employees and a pro-rated share of these to part-time or adjunct employees.
Although a floating holiday might create some scheduling challenges and might also cause excess work for other team members, they also offer tangible benefits. For example, employees who practice religions or traditions that are not widely celebrated feel valued and included when they are provided an opportunity to balance work and home. This leads to greater engagement and improves morale and motivation. With increasing competition for qualified candidates, floating holidays offer a better and more inclusive perk to hire and retain good employees.
Offering floating holidays might require organizations to be more strategic and intentional in developing guidelines and policies and then communicating these to their employees. For example, how many floating holidays will each employee be allowed, and can these be carried over to the next year when unused? What happens if the employee leaves before using their floating holiday? Will they be compensated for their unused holiday? State regulations may also influence these decisions. For example, California Labor Code section 227.3 does not permit the “use it or lose it” policy, so if the employee leaves the company and has not used their floating holiday, they will need to be compensated. If the organization has employees in multiple states, will they have a separate policy for each state or adopt the most generous one for all employees? Notwithstanding these challenges, when floating holidays are permitted and the policies are communicated clearly, organizations demonstrate inclusivity and a genuine regard for their employees.
About the Author
Fawzia Reza, Ed.D. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in May 2013. Her thesis topic, which explored the experiences and expectations of immigrant Pakistani parents regarding parental involvement in schools, has highlighted the social justice shortcomings that have been faced by these parents in the light of recent world events. A book based on her thesis, The Effects of the September 11 Terrorist Attack on Pakistani-American Parental Involvement in U.S. Schools, was released by Lexington Books in 2015. Her first children’s book, Mary and Her New Friends, which was released in 2019 by Austin Macauley Publishers, addresses themes related to South Asian culture and helps young children develop empathy for those with special needs.
Dr. Reza continues to be an active researcher on topics related to education. She has written several research based and peer-reviewed articles that address social justice issues of immigrant parents and students and she recently served as a guest editor for Diversity and Inclusion in Educational Institutions by Cambridge Scholars Publishing which was released in January 2022.