While many people see the holiday season as a time for rest, this is not the case for everyone. A recent study by Calendar Labs, a company specializing in calendar templates, discovered that about one-quarter of Americans are expected to work on Christmas Eve and more than 10% on Christmas Day.
This survey, which involved 1,014 full-time workers, also found that a similar number are set to work through New Year's Eve, with nearly 20% working on New Year's Day. It's clear that for some Americans, working on holidays is a reality they face.
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Economy Main Reason Behind Some Americans Working on Holidays
The main reason many Americans are working during the holidays is the economy. Experts also point out that this shows a need to improve jobs for bosses and workers.
Julia Pollak from ZipRecruiter explains that keeping workers is now more important than hiring new ones. Hiring lots of people doesn't help if they leave soon after. She stresses that companies should create a workplace where people are happy and want to stay.
"Employers now realize retention, not recruitment, is the biggest workforce issue. You can hire zillions of individuals, but if they leave three months after your significant investment, said Pollak.
Another significant reason workers stay on the job during holidays is the high cost of living. Nearly a third of those surveyed (32%) mentioned this as a factor.
Dan Schawbel, a workplace expert, points out that inflation is tightening the financial grip on Americans, leading them to adjust to not only the overall economic inflation but also "greedflation," where businesses hike prices for a more significant profit.
Schawbel highlights the combined financial and emotional strain this puts on individuals as they struggle to cope with escalating expenses without a corresponding increase in their earnings.
Working on Holidays due to a "supply-constrained labor market"
Another big reason for the holiday working hours is a "supply-constrained labor market," Pollak said. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment has hovered under 4% for the past 24 months.
Pollak said that staffing has gotten particularly tight for some industries, such as hospitals, where many nurses can no longer submit vacation requests at this point of the year.
The report found that 28% of respondents said they worked during the holidays due to the "inability to get coverage at work," the second-biggest reason.
"That is the situation in which many industries find themselves," she said. "They're still very, very short-staffed. They have a minimal cushion and insufficient substitutes to fill in."
Meanwhile, the Calendarlabs website also noted that balancing giving workers time off and keeping the business stable is essential. But it's just as important to remember that holidays are necessary for workers' health.
Staying always busy at work can lead to serious health issues. More than half of employees say their mental health has gotten worse because of constant work. Our study also shows that people who work from home are 16% more likely to struggle since they can't quickly stop working mentally.
It is a big deal for bosses and company leaders, primarily as more people work remotely.
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