My wife is an employee of Hamilton County Schools. My question is, why are employees of Hamilton County Schools forced to work Monday, Jan. 2? This is a national holiday.
Since Jan. 1 falls on Sunday, the New Years holiday is observed on Jan. 2. She is expected to work for free.
She should be paid at double time for being forced to work on a national holiday by Hamilton County Schools.
Larry Welch, DDS
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Larry,
I have known you and your family for most of my life, but I have to weigh in here. Your wife is "forced" to do nothing. January second isn't some magical day where county employees are exempt from responsibility. There will be countless deputies, dispatchers, public works employees, etc. working that day who also receive county paychecks.
She is free to find work wherever she can get Jan. 2 off. I'm sure many in this county would love to have a job where they were allowed to work that day. A "national" holiday is not automatically a "county" holiday.
You enjoy a nice life with a large home, nice cars, and a swimming pool just to mention a few things. If your wife working that day is the biggest complaint of your life, you are the most blessed man I have ever met.
Brian Finlay
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Sounds like Dr. Welch needs a hug.
George Parker
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Come on, now; that's just silly whining. "She is expected to work for free"? Surely not.
First, the Hamilton County Department of Education School Board Approved calendar for the 2016-2017 school year plainly states, "Dec. 19–Dec. 30, 2016 ----- Winter Break (10 Paid Days)." That is two full weeks of paid time off, two full weeks of end-of-the-year holiday, and we all know that few, if any, of the local American working class who actually pay taxes to provide those nice school holidays get anything like two weeks off at Christmas, and certainly not two weeks paid time off.
Second, that same School Board Approved calendar states, "January 2, Monday ----- Teacher Professional Development #2 (School-Based) NO STUDENTS." So it's not like Monday, Jan. 2, is a business-as-usual day of grueling, hazardous work for teachers, etc. And it's certainly not like it's a day of unpaid work; that day's obligation and pay was built into the local school calendar way back in November 2015, and should be no surprise to anyone who has a contract with the system.
Third, we all know that the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 was written by the royal folks in Washington D.C. specifically for the benefit of those same folks in Washington D.C. They weren't concerned about the possible cost to anyone else (the American working class who pay for everything those folks in Washington D.C. dream up), and any possible benefits to anyone other than the folks in Washington D.C. were simply incidental. That federal law was not written out of concern for the teachers or anyone else in Hamilton County, Tennessee.
Fourth, the time and date website indicates that Monday, Jan. 2, 2017 is a federal holiday, New Year's Day observed. (The site also indicates that more days than not are observed as holidays each year by someone or other -- federal, state, local, religious, traditional, or just simply loony.)
Fifth, the Wikipedia article "Federal holidays in the United States" says, "In the United States, a federal holiday is an authorized holiday which has been recognized by the U.S. government. Every year on a U.S. federal holiday, non-essential federal government offices are closed, and every federal employee is paid for the holiday. Private-sector employees required to work on a legal holiday may receive holiday pay in addition to their ordinary wages. Federal holidays are designated by the United States Congress in Title V of the United States Code. Congress has authority to create holidays only for federal institutions (including federally owned properties) and employees, and for the District of Columbia. However, as a general rule other institutions, including banks, post offices, and schools, may be closed on those days. In various parts of the country, state and city holidays may be observed in addition to the federal holidays."
So it seems pretty clear that Monday, Jan. 2, is a federal holiday only for the benefit of federal employees, which has no official bearing on any other government or organization. And it's pretty clear that anyone who works in the Hamilton County schools on Monday, Jan. 2, will be paid for their time, regardless of how much or how little work they really do and how much or how little they really accomplish.
What's unreasonable about that?
Larry Cloud
Chattanooga
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Dr. Welch,
Although I wish we did not return the day after New Year's, respectfully sir, it is not wrong for HCDE to have us begin the second semester on Jan. 2. HCDE employees are not federal workers and therefore it is not required that the holiday be observed and provide us with an additional day off.
Because your wife is a teacher, I am sure you are aware that we also work on Columbus Day as well as Veterans' Day and have for years. We are lucky in that we have the other federal holidays as paid days off in addition to other paid "off" days through the school year that many others do not get.
If approved, the calendar for next year has us report for second semester on Jan. 4, which makes all of us happy.
Pam Dantzler
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When firefighters, police officers, nurses and many other professional jobs are sought after and taken they each know what they are in for. Therefore don’t try to change the policy when hired. Be glad you got a job, otherwise find something else to do that fits your social life and wanted days off schedule.
A little cheese with the wine always taste better.
Michael Mansfield
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Dr. Welch,
It is sad that you are complaining about your wife going back to work on Jan. 2 when there are so many other pressing issues. Since your wife is an employee of Hamilton County Schools she knows the school calendar ahead of time so if she wanted to be off that day she should have requested for the time off by using a vacation day.
Now, not everyone gets that day off just because it's a holiday. Our police, firefighters, and EMTs are always working so one day that your wife has to work because the "holiday" is observed on that day should be the least of your worries.
The other point I would like to point out that usually, not always I understand, but there are times when your wife won't have to go into work due to weather, while there are others who have to try and go to work because if they don't they won't get paid or even have to use vacation or sick days so they can get paid for their day of missed work.
So while you are complaining about your wife having to work on Monday keep in mind that your wife had a choice.
Amy Smith
East Brainerd