Do workers get holiday pay for Saturday?

By Raymond Dreyfack -- Plant Engineering, 2/1/2000

A common greeting exchanged between employees arriving at work the first morning of year 2000 was, "Happy New Year!" But when workers received their paychecks on Wednesday, happiness did not reign supreme.

Three disgruntled employees appeared at Maintenance Foreman Joe Foley's desk an hour after the checks were distributed.

"We've been shortchanged," Edgar Gobels, acting as spokesman, complained.

"How's that?"

"Holiday pay for New Year's Day was omitted."

"You're not entitled to holiday pay. This year, New Year's Day fell on a Saturday, which was not a regular working day."

"We're supposed to get nine holidays a year," Gobels persisted. "New Years Day is one of them. It makes no difference when it falls."

"You have it all wrong," Foley replied. "If it's not a working day, you don't get paid."

"We'll see about that," Gobels snapped back.

Question: Who's in the right: Gobels or Foley?

Justin's verdict: Plant Engineer Wayne Justin supported the foreman's stand. "If the contract were silent on the issue of holiday pay entitlement for a non-working day, Gobels might have a case in his favor. But the labor agreement clearly and specifically states that holiday pay applies only to holidays that fall on a scheduled work day."