Nov 17, 2008 11:52 am US/Eastern
Some States Cut Paid Holidays To Save Money
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Poll
Do you think Mass. should consider cutting state holidays to save money?
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At least three states have eliminated or proposed to cut the number of paid state holidays to save money.
In September,
New Jersey eliminated Lincoln's Birthday in February to trim the number of holidays there to 12.
In California, where they have 14 state holidays,
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week he wants to get rid of Lincoln's Birthday and Columbus Day as well.
Utah, which is experimenting with a four-day work week, has also eliminated Columbus Day as a paid holiday.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of paid holidays for state and local government employees nationwide is 11 days a year. The average private-sector employee receives eight paid holidays
WILL ANY BE CUT IN MASSACHUSETTS?Nothing has been proposed yet.
There are 11 state holidays here, plus an additional two in Suffolk County - Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day.
Patriots Day is observed only in Massachusetts and Maine to commemorate the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Here are the paid state holidays in Massachusetts for 2008:
- New Year's Day - January 1
- Martin Luther King Day - January 21
- President's Day - February 18
- Evacuation Day (Suffolk County) - March 17
- Patriots' Day - April 21
- Memorial Day - May 26
- Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk County) - June 17
- Independence Day - July 4
- Labor Day - Sepetmber 1
- Columbus Day - October 13
- Veterans Day - November 11
- Thanksgiving - November 27
- Christmas - December 25
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, most businesses in 2009 plan to observe the six major holidays: New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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