Monday a Holiday? Depends Where you Work

Dow Jones newcomers occasionally ask whether the second Monday in October is a holiday or a regular work day. The answer depends on where the employee works and often comes as a surprise.

Under the terms of the collective agreement between IAPE and Dow Jones—soon to be revised thanks to our new 2022-23 agreement—nine holidays are recognized for employees in the United States: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Juneteenth, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, or the days celebrated by the United States federal government as such.

Indigenous Peoples Day or Columbus Day are not included as contract holidays. For IAPE-represented employees working in the U.S., Monday is a regular work day. 

Members in Canada, however, get to enjoy a day off.

The IAPE/DJ contract recognizes up to eleven holidays, depending on work location, for members working in Canadian provinces: New Year's Day, Family Day (for Ontario Employees only), Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labor Day, Truth and Reconciliation Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Boxing Day, St. Jean Baptiste (Quebec) and Civic Day (Ontario) or the days celebrated by the Canadian federal government as such.

Regardless of which side of the border you work, if you are required to perform work on a contract-recognized holiday, you’re entitled to Holiday Pay—that’s 1.5X your pay for any regular hours worked and 2X your pay for additional hours. Everyone is eligible, regardless of your job title or overtime eligibility. In addition to extra pay, employees working on contract holidays are entitled to an extra day’s pay or an extra day off. Management has the discretion to choose the extra day or extra pay for holidays before July 3 in any calendar year, while employees have discretion to choose for holidays after July 3.

So, to our members in Canada, we say Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your long weekend! For the rest of us, “see” you at work on Monday!