TORONTO — Canada Day, falling on a Tuesday this year, has stirred discussions around holiday scheduling for those who work Monday to Friday. The timing of the statutory holiday creates a unique dilemma, prompting many employees to either work an unusual Monday or use a vacation day to create a long weekend. This situation has led several startups to address the holiday quirk by granting their staff a paid day off on Monday, thus transforming the holiday into a more favorable long weekend experience.
Moody Abdul, founder of Klarify, highlighted the emphasis on employee satisfaction, stating, "It’s that, ‘if I take care of you, you’ll take care of us’ kind of mentality." Klarify, a company that provides AI-driven note-taking and administrative tools for therapists, is among those promoting the idea of a more flexible week to foster worker appreciation. This approach to the Canada Day holiday aligns with Abdul's belief that supporting employee well-being can enhance overall productivity and morale.
In Quebec, the situation is compounded as residents face their second consecutive Tuesday holiday, following Saint-Jean Baptiste Day on June 24. The proximity of Canada Day has led many Quebecers to take the entire week off to enjoy a stretch similar to the period between Christmas and New Year’s. For those unable to take extended time off, such as full-time workers with fixed schedules, the options are limited to either requesting a vacation day or accepting the unusual workweek.
Ani Siddique, a research assistant at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, shared his early preparations for the holiday. "I had to ask for it but I planned for things one or two months in advance," he mentioned, highlighting the strategy many have adopted to secure a day off amidst high demand. Meanwhile, Morad Affifi, enjoying the outdoors after his shift, noted that his Canada Day celebrations ultimately stretched into the preceding weekend. Like many, he opted to use his vacation time to create a more leisurely schedule.
Suze Mason, co-founder of Sprout Family, a digital health platform, echoed similar sentiments. She provided her five employees with Monday off without expecting significant operational disruption. Mason indicated that many of their corporate clients, including larger Canadian organizations, are treating the day as a holiday, which demonstrates a widespread trend of accommodating employee needs. “It felt like it was the right business decision to give our employees a day to rest and recharge,” she explained, pointing out the importance of enabling team members to disconnect without anxiety about missed responsibilities.
In line with this trend, Vineet Johnson, founder and CEO of IRegained, has made it a standard practice to bridge the gaps between holidays, citing a previous instance last December when Boxing Day fell on a Thursday. “It’s an easy incentive, a no-brainer incentive,” Johnson remarked, emphasizing the simplicity and effectiveness of such initiatives to bolster employee morale and engagement.
As companies navigate the challenges posed by ill-timed holidays, the responses from startups like Klarify, Sprout Family, and IRegained underscore a growing recognition of the importance of employee welfare. By rethinking traditional holiday structures, these organizations not only alleviate scheduling conflicts but also enhance workplace culture and employee satisfaction.
