At Weber Shandwick, employees can also exchange their ‘traditional’ work-free holiday for a non-public holiday, or non-religious event. Such as the anniversary of the death of a loved one or a wedding anniversary. “What people think is important to celebrate or commemorate can be very personal,” said board chairman Hafida Abahai.
Exchange Ascension for Sugar Fest
Although Good Friday is a free weekday in her company, and therefore tradable, no one has yet made use of it. “It has yet to come to life,” says Abahai. “Someone has already exchanged his Ascension for the Sugar Fest.”
Labor market expert Hafid Ballafkih sees the advantages of flexible handling of public holidays. “It is known that autonomy contributes to happiness at work. I see no reason not to offer this. In some sectors it will be more difficult, but there are examples of companies, such as the police, where this can be arranged well.”
Game rules
The AWVN says that employers have little objection, as long as the work does not suffer. “In a collective labor agreement you can make a broad agreement with the option to exchange public holidays. In that sense it is not very different from a shift work. Then people can also exchange, but just staying away is a problem.”
Abahai does not have any concerns about the workability of this construction – a few colleagues who do work during Ascension, others do not. “That should in any case not be a reason not to do it. Let colleagues know that you do work.”
According to labor market expert Ballafkih, it still happens on a small scale, but these kinds of changes in the workplace are inevitable. “Organizations that oppose this will soon miss a part of the labor market. As an organization you have to be ready for more diversity. And that will only become more important.”
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