Holiday time off hard to come by

By Stephanie Armour
USA Today

The economy might be showing signs of perking up, but employers are playing Grinch when it comes to year-end time off.

Employees are getting less paid time off around the holidays than in previous years. With Christmas Day and New Year's falling on successive Saturdays, 33 percent of companies plan to give workers three or more paid days off this year. Last year's figure was almost twice as high, at 65 percent, according to the BNA.

But it's not just because of the calendar. During 1999, when Christmas and New Year's last fell on Saturdays, half of employers gave workers three or more paid days off. That means that, this year, more employees will be working on or around the holidays — adding extra pressure to an already stressed work force, experts say.

"Employers are being a bit more miserly," says Josh Joseph, BNA's director of research.

Some employees will be working on Christmas Day. Denny's will be open on Christmas, which is one of the restaurant's busiest days of the year. To help workers get time with family, work shifts are typically shortened, a spokeswoman says.

Safeway grocery stores will have more stores open on Christmas than in years past, and employees are being asked to work on a volunteer basis. Those who do generally get double their regular pay or more, depending on union contracts.

But some critics say less time off and work on Christmas is taking a toll on workers.

Overall, 33 percent of workers say they will take no time off over the holidays, according to a survey by Accenture HR Services. Nearly two in three workers have experienced workplace stress around the holidays.

"You want your employees to be productive and happy," says Brenda Dwyer, a manager with Accenture HR Service, a provider of human resources services. "One of the biggest sources of stress is finding time for holiday shopping."