1. SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules
October 15, 2013

2. Key Findings
•
Which 2014 holidays will most organizations observe by closing their offices? The 2014 holidays that most
(90% or more) organizations will observe are:
» New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1)
» Memorial Day (Monday, May 26)
» Independence Day (Friday, July 4)
» Labor Day (Monday, September 1)
» Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 27)
» Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25)
•
Which religious holidays in 2014 will most organizations observe? Overall, few organizations will close their
offices on religious holidays other than Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: 35% of organizations will be closed on
Christmas Eve and 95% will be closed on Christmas Day. The next most common religious holiday is Good
Friday: 21% of organizations reported their offices will be closed on Good Friday.
•
Does your organization offer any floating holidays (other than personal days and paid holidays) to
employees? Thirty-eight percent of organizations reported offering “floating holidays” to employees. Of those
that do offer these holidays, nine out of 10 (96%) organizations offer no more than five floating holidays a year.
SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules ©SHRM 2013
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3. Definitions
In this survey, a floating holiday is defined as a holiday that provides an employee paid time off to
observe a holiday not observed by the organization. For example, employees receive a paid day off (in
addition to paid holidays or vacation days) to take when they wish, such as on their birthday or on
another holiday that is not a scheduled holiday for the organization.
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4. How many paid holidays does your organization offer
to your full-time employees per year?
Number of Days
Percentage
0-5 days
3%
6-10 days
78%
11-15 days
18%
16-20 days
1%
21-25 days
*
Note: n = 603. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
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5. How many paid holidays does your organization offer
to your part-time employees per year?
Number of Days
Percentage
0-5 days
51%
6-10 days
41%
11-15 days
8%
16-20 days
*
Note: n = 586. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
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6. Does your organization offer any floating holidays (other
than personal days and paid holidays) to employees?
Yes, 38%
No, 62%
n = 604
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7. How many floating holidays does your organization
offer to your full-time employees per year?
Number of Days
Percentage
0-5 days
96%
6-10 days
4%
More than 10 days
1%
Note: n = 220. Only respondents whose organizations offer floating holidays were asked this question. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
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8. Generally, is your organization open for business on
weekends?
Percentage
No, we are not open on weekends
64%
Yes, we are open on Saturdays
26%
Yes, we are open on Sundays
9%
Note: n = 603. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
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9. 2014 Holidays Organizations Plan to Observe
2014 Holiday
Closed
Close Early
Remain Open
Wednesday, January 1 (New Year's Day)
94%
*
5%
Monday, January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday)
36%
0%
64%
Friday, January 31 (Chinese and Vietnamese New Year)
2%
2%
97%
Monday, February 17 (Presidents Day)
35%
65%
Wednesday, March 5 (Ash Wednesday)
*
*
*
Tuesday, April 15 (beginning of Passover)
0%
0%
100%
Friday, April 18 (Good Friday)
21%
5%
74%
Monday, April 21 (Easter Monday)
7%
*
93%
Friday, May 23 (Friday before Memorial Day)
2%
10%
87%
Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)
92%
1%
7%
Wednesday, June 4 (Shavuot)
1%
0%
99%
Sunday, June 29 (first day of Ramadan)
1%
0%
99%
99%
Note: n = 595-547. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from
this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations are regularly open for business on Saturday or Sunday were asked about holidays that fall on those days.
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10. 2014 Holidays Organizations Plan to Observe
(continued)
2014 Holiday
Closed
Close Early
Remain Open
Thursday, July 3 (day before Independence Day)
5%
12%
83%
Friday, July 4 (Independence Day)
93%
1%
6%
Saturday, July 5 (day after Independence Day)
8%
1%
91%
Friday, August 29 (Friday before Labor Day)
1%
11%
88%
Monday, September 1 (Labor Day)
93%
1%
6%
Thursday, September 25 (Rosh Hashanah)
0%
0%
100%
Friday, October 3 (evening of Yom Kippur)
0%
0%
100%
Saturday, October 4 (Yom Kippur)
1%
0%
99%
Sunday, October 5 (Eid al-Adha/Festival of Sacrifice)
1%
0%
99%
Thursday, October 9 (Sukkot)
0%
0%
100%
Monday, October 13 (Columbus Day)
14%
0%
86%
Note: n = 547-595. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only
respondents whose organizations are regularly open for business on Saturday or Sunday were asked about holidays that fall on those days.
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11. 2014 Holidays Organizations Plan to Observe
(continued)
2014 Holiday
Closed
Close Early
Remain Open
*
0%
100%
Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans Day)
22%
*
77%
Wednesday, November 26 (day before Thanksgiving)
7%
18%
75%
Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving Day)
94%
1%
5%
Friday, November 28 (day after Thanksgiving)
66%
2%
32%
Wednesday, December 17 (first day of Chanukah)
0%
0%
100%
Tuesday, December 23 (day before Christmas holidays)
3%
4%
93%
Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)
35%
32%
33%
Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
95%
0%
5%
Friday, December 26 (day after Christmas)
22%
1%
77%
Thursday, October 23 (Diwali)
Note: n = 547-595. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only
respondents whose organizations are regularly open for business on Saturday or Sunday were asked about holidays that fall on those days.
SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules ©SHRM 2013
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12. 2014 Holidays Organizations Plan to Observe
(by U.S. Federal Holidays)
2014 Holiday
Closed
Close Early
Remain Open
Wednesday, January 1 (New Year's Day)
94%
*
5%
Monday, January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday)
36%
0%
64%
Friday, July 4 (Independence Day)
93%
1%
6%
Monday, February 17 (President's Day)
35%
*
65%
Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)
92%
1%
7%
Monday, September 1 (Labor Day)
93%
1%
6%
Monday, October 13 (Columbus Day)
14%
0%
86%
Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans Day)
22%
*
77%
Thursday, November 27 (Thanksgiving Day)
94%
1%
5%
Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
95%
0%
5%
Note: n = 547-595. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded
from this analysis.
SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules ©SHRM 2013
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13. 2014 Holidays Organizations Plan to Observe
(by Religious Holidays)
2014 Holiday
Closed
Close Early
Remain Open
2%
2%
97%
Wednesday, March 5 (Ash Wednesday)
*
*
99%
Tuesday, April 15 (beginning of Passover)
0%
0%
100%
Friday, April 18 (Good Friday)
21%
5%
74%
Monday, April 21 (Easter Monday)
7%
*
93%
Wednesday, June 4 (Shavuot)
1%
0%
99%
Sunday, June 29 (first day of Ramadan)
1%
0%
99%
Thursday, September 25 (Rosh Hashanah)
0%
0%
100%
Friday, October 3 (evening of Yom Kippur)
0%
0%
100%
Saturday, October 4 (Yom Kippur)
1%
0%
99%
Sunday, October 5 (Eid al-Adha/Festival of Sacrifice)
1%
0%
99%
Thursday, October 9 (Sukkot)
0%
0%
100%
Thursday, October 23 (Diwali)
*
0%
100%
Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve)
35%
32%
33%
Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
95%
0%
5%
Friday, January 31 (Chinese and Vietnamese New Year)
Note: n = 547-595. Percentages may not total 100% due to rounding. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from
this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations are regularly open for business on Saturday or Sunday were asked about holidays that fall on those days.
SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules ©SHRM 2013
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14. Looking ahead to 2015, will your organization’s offices be closed, close
early or remain open on Thursday, January 1, 2015 (New Year’s Day)?
92%
Offices closed
Offices remain open
Offices close early
6%
1%
Note: n = 570. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
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15. Will the number of paid holidays offered by your organization
decrease, stay the same or increase in 2014?
98%
Stay the same
Increase
1%
Decrease
1%
Note: n = 568. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules ©SHRM 2013
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16. Demographics
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17. Demographics: Organization Size
27%
1-99 employees
100-499 employees
40%
19%
500-2,499 employees
10%
2,500-24,999 employees
25,000 or more employees
3%
Note: n = 570. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
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18. Demographics: Organization Profit Status
Privately owned for-profit organization
Nonprofit organization
Publicly owned for-profit organization
Government agency
58%
18%
14%
10%
n = 545
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19. Demographics: Organization Industry
Percentage
Professional, scientific and technical services
20%
Manufacturing
15%
Health care and social assistance
14%
Finance and insurance
9%
Government agencies
9%
Educational services
8%
Construction
5%
Transportation and warehousing
5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
4%
Utilities
4%
Real estate and rental and leasing
3%
Note: n = 570. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
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20. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Percentage
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional and similar organizations
3%
Retail trade
3%
Wholesale trade
3%
Accommodation and food services
2%
Information
2%
Mining
2%
Repair and maintenance
2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
1%
Arts, entertainment and recreation
1%
*
Personal and laundry services
Other
7%
Note: n = 570. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
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21. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.-based
operations (business units) only, or does
it operate multinationally?
U.S.-based operations only
79%
Multinational operations
21%
n = 582
Is your organization a single-unit organization or
a multi-unit organization?
Single-unit organization: An organization in
which the location and the organization are one
and the same
35%
Multi-unit organization: An organization that has
more than one location
65%
n = 585
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and
practices determined by the multi-unit
headquarters, by each work location or by both?
What is the HR department/function for which
you responded throughout this survey?
Corporate (companywide)
72%
Business unit/division
12%
Facility/location
16%
n = 391
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR
policies and practices
63%
Each work location determines HR policies
and practices
4%
A combination of both the work location and
the multi-unit headquarters determines HR
policies and practices
33%
n = 391
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22. SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules
Survey Methodology

Response rate = 20%

606 HR professional respondents from a randomly selected sample of
SHRM’s membership participated in this survey.

Margin of error +/- 4%

Survey fielded July 29 to August 12, 2013.
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23. About SHRM Research
For more survey/poll findings, visit shrm.org/surveys
For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research
Services, visit shrm.org/customizedresearch
Follow us on Twitter @SHRM_Research
Project leader:
Rob Boyd, SHRM Research
Research intern:
Yan Dong, Research intern, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research
Evren Esen, manager, Survey Research Center, SHRM Research
Copy editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center
Workplace Romance Survey ©SHRM 2013
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24. About SHRM
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest
association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than
250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR
professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948,
SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary
offices in China, India and United Arab Emirates.
SHRM Survey Findings: 2014 Holiday Schedules ©SHRM 2013
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