Ways to Celebrate Labor Day with Your Employees

Learn how to commemorate your employees on this significant labor holiday, whether your firm is operating on Labor Day or the whole workforce is off.

What you’ll discover:

What is the significance of Labor Day?
How can businesses commemorate Labor Day?
If businesses are open on Labor Day, how should they celebrate?
If businesses are closed on Labor Day, when should they celebrate?

What is the significance of Labor Day?

Labor Day celebrations began around the end of the nineteenth century. The ordinary employee at the time worked 12-hour days seven days a week simply to pay the bills and put food on the table. Many workers were subjected to hazardous working conditions, limited access to fresh air, and inadequate sanitary facilities. Breaks like lunch breaks were uncommon, and children as young as 5 or 6 years old may have worked in factories, mills, or mines.

In response, trade unions and activists advocated for more worker rights, such as higher salaries, better working conditions, and more time off. They demonstrated and went on strike to protest long hours and low compensation. On September 5, 1882, 10,000 laborers marched from City Hall to Union Square in New York City in what became known as the inaugural Labor Day parade.

After years of strikes and protests, Congress declared Labor Day a national holiday in Washington, D.C. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed the measure into law. Since then, Labor Day has been a federal holiday.

Nowadays, Labor Day serves as a reminder to both employers and workers of the efforts and accomplishments of the American worker.

How can businesses commemorate Labor Day?

Even though it is not mandatory, many firms give their employees time off on Labor Day. If you are unable to offer your workers a day off on Labor Day, you may still celebrate in other ways. Here are a few examples:

Compose individualized thank-you cards to your employees.
Organise a party, picnic, or barbeque at which managers will cook.
Provide food delivery gift cards or cater a lunch for the workplace.
Give little incentives.
Make alternative possibilities for time off available.

Whatever you decide, consider offering generally consistent incentives or rewards to guarantee that all of your key workers are treated fairly.

You should also bear in mind that if you are participating in an activity outside of work, you, as the employer, may still be held accountable for injuries or damages if an accident occurs. These occurrences may be deemed workers’ compensation injuries in certain jurisdictions. Consider an Activity Waiver of Responsibility as one solution to this problem.

If businesses are open on Labor Day, how should they celebrate?

If you are open on Labor Day, a particular gesture to show your employees how much you value them is even more crucial. Employees like time off on another day, extra compensation for working on the holiday, and bonuses, to name a few desirable alternatives.

Employers, on the other hand, are not compelled by federal law to give holiday compensation on Labor Day. As a consequence, whatever incentive you offer is entirely up to you. Other states, on the other hand, may impose overtime compensation for working on the holiday.

Depending on your industry, a dress-down day, free lunch, or door prizes may also demonstrate to people working on Labor Day that you value their hard work, willingness to work on the holiday, and loyalty. If you do not have a policy in place that informs workers about the benefits of working on holidays, you should consider adding one to your Employee Handbook.

If businesses are closed on Labor Day, when should they celebrate?

You may celebrate Labor Day with your employees whenever it is convenient for you, even if you are closed for the holiday. A potluck that weekend, or a modest thank you gesture before or after the three-day weekend, might demonstrate to your team that you value their efforts. Staff recognition can go a long way toward increasing morale, which is always good for business, and Labor Day was created particularly for this purpose.