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‘Double-Dipping’ Holidays
I oversee a team of five and have one Jewish employee who takes off Jewish holidays, like Passover and Yom Kippur. I treat those holidays like I treat the major Christian holidays everyone gets off: She can have the day off without using P.T.O. or sick days.
Our team often works irregular hours. As manager, I cover any issues that arise on holidays like Christmas and Good Friday, when our offices are closed for a long Easter weekend. Typically the workload is light, but this Christmas I spent several hours away from my family putting out an unforeseen fire.
Since my Jewish employee gets her religion’s holidays off, can I ask her to cover for the team on Christian holidays? On the one hand, she is the only member of her faith in our office, and we live in a part of the South without many other Jews, so I don’t want her to feel singled out. On the other hand, she is “double-dipping” on holidays, getting a long Easter weekend right after a long Passover weekend, for example. And — selfishly — it would be nice to log off and spend uninterrupted time with my family over Christmas and Easter.
So: If my Jewish employee takes off Passover, can I ask her to work on Easter weekend?
— Anonymous
Easter is already behind us, so I’m going to answer your question in a more general sense. Short version: Though you’re within your rights to ask your employee to work a Christian holiday, does that mean you should? No. (Presumably, these are companywide holidays; also, some of them, like Christmas, are national holidays.)
For one thing, she’ll definitely feel she’s being singled out. (That’s because she is.)
Second, you say, “As manager, I cover any issues that arise on holidays like Christmas and Good Friday.” This is as it should be. That is your job. Even if it takes you away from your family on Christmas, which, of course, is regrettable. And, I imagine, incredibly frustrating.
Speaking of frustration, I sense some irritation and resentment on your part, particularly when you accuse your employee of “double-dipping,” which makes it sound as if she’s doing something wrong by taking off religious holidays, some of which are central to her faith.
