Working during a Holiday

Holidays are occasions that many take advantage of to do things they normally wouldn’t do or enjoy time with family and friends since the opportunity of having a day off isn’t every day.

For many holidays may mean well deserved time off, but for others holidays mean important an important opportunity to do more business.

Holidays are important days for some industries

In the hospitality, restaurant and similar industries, holidays are not days for rest, instead its time to work more now than ever.

This is because those that do rest during holidays like to either travel, visit new places, try new restaurants or just break the normal routine and this means that restaurants, bars, hotels and travel businesses need to have sufficient staff for the demand.

What is the cost of working during a holiday?

Sometimes the demand during holidays or even weekends that either follow or lead into a holiday requires that not only regular staff need to work those days, but additional staff needs to be hired.

Of course, just as there is an increase in demand for hospitality and travel-based business, there needs to be a corresponding increase in costs that the business will assume in making necessary preparations for these holidays.

How much would a business need to budget so as to prepare for an increase in demand? Well, solely regarding workforce, it will be important keep in mind that as per article 68 of the Labor Code, the employee that works during a national holiday will receive double pay, that is he will receive for working during a holiday his daily wage and an additional 100% of the daily wage amount. So, for example, an employee that has a daily wage of C$200 would receive C$400 for working during a national holiday.