Good Friday

System

I am wondering what other businesses do for good friday. We are getting requests from employees to attend mass on friday afternoon. Of course if we let everone off we would not have anyone left for production. Do we need to let these employee off to attend mass? (I'm thinking we do not have to, but I want to be sure)

Thank,

Spoden, MN

ray a

Friday is a regular scheduled workday for us. If an ee wants time off for religious reasons, they may use paid time off. We typically have no more than a hand full of ee's that take any time off for Good Friday.

Don D

I'll be thinking of you both Friday. This place is locked down on Good Friday. Can you smell my grill yet?

clevahn

Our company is closed on Friday. It is one of our nine paid holidays.

mushroomHR

We're off on Good Friday as well but if we were open and employees wanted to attend Mass they could use PTO to do so. We allow that practice for other religious days we are open if someone wants time off to attend services.

JM in ATL

We will be open, but we are having a pot luck lunch, more so for Easter than Good Friday.

I'm in the south and most of the people in these parts don't celebrate Good Friday (well not that I have met anyway).

In the last company I worked for the CEO was Catholic so we had 1/2 a day at the corp. office. All other offices were open normal hours and ee's had to use ETO if they wanted off.

deniseE

It's a workday for us too, but most requests for PTO will not be denied.

ray a

Don, I will be counting your posts to the forum.

Balloonman

Isn't every Friday a good Friday?
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman

marc

I thought a variety of times were offered to go to Mass for these kinds of occasions. Even a midnight mass the evening before and sometimes a dawn mass. I thought these were offered so EEs could still practice these religious observations and not have to miss work?

Crout

Yes, you do need to accommodate a request for time off to observe a religious holiday, or be in violation of Title VII. The only way around that is if the accommodation would pose an undue hardship on your business.

System

Yes, every Friday IS a good Friday! We're closed that day, too. Hoo-ray!!!

Don D

JM in ATL: I live 398 miles west of you in the deep South and everybody I know gets Good Friday off as a holiday.

Marc: Ain't it amazin' how many people turn Catholic when they realize they can get off to attend mass. I'm not Catholic and Good Friday is a Christian Holy Day, not just Catholic. We used to call some people "C&E Christians" - Christmas and Easter Christians.

vic

I'm in the south also and we've always gotten Good Friday off. It's always great having that day because usually the weather is great!!

DeidreFR5

Traditionally, there is a 3pm service on Good Friday. It is the last formal service before Easter can be celebrated (after sunset on Saturday). As an additional point of interest, this year, Easter is the same for the the Eastern and "Western" Christian churches - this does't happen very often.

mcmel

We are also closed on Good Friday, it's one of our 11 scheduled holidays.

(Our second shift, which generally works 10 hours days Monday through Thursday, is scheduled off for Thursday to recognize their Good Friday holiday). What a nightmare.

Cinderella

WOW! I've never heard of people getting Good Friday off, but sign me up for that.

Don, I've always wondered what constitutes the "Deep South"? Seriously - when someone says that phrase I don't have a picture in my mind of what they are talking about. Can you enlighten me? Also, if one lives in the Northwest US are they considered a Yankee or is that term reserved for those who live in the Northeast? I've always wondered that too. x:-)

Don D

You really need to visit usadeepsouth.com. There's always an interesting conversation going on there about what constitutes the South. You'll also find some interesting articles and a picture of at least one bottle tree.

marc

Hmmmm, maybe I should expand the definition of GDI to include the multi-denominational recognition of all religious holidays, on the grounds that it is a good idea to cover as many of the bases as you can in case one particular one has it RIGHT and the rest is malarkey. That should give a number of additional paid holidays for any given year. Of course, as a junior, apprentice HR person, I would be role modeling diversity and not discriminating against any particular credo.

2445428

We are also closed on Good Friday. It is one of 15 holidays that we are allowed to close. I'm in the "deep South" as well. Most businesses, other than retail, are closed on Good Friday in this part of the country. Louisiana!

If we would not be closed for this holiday, we would allow our employees time off to attend religous service if a service would not be offered before or after closing time.

sonny

We are also closed. . interesting for government, I thought. . . I think in part because in SOME definitions we are considered Deep South although those south of here are definitely not deep south. Some of you will understand that, most won't, but don't worry it ain't a simple thing.

Don D

Without starting a whole new debate, the term "Deep South", in my mind and the minds of many I congregate with, relates to and defines not so much a geographical area, but a state of mind, a pleasant plateau into which one is born and upon which one dies, and the inalienable right to forever hold dear that which God has given you by so designating you Southern. One may move "South", but one does not become Southern. One may sneak into the South, but he never becomes Southern. One may overtake a geographical place, but it will immediately lose its designation of Deep South.

Val45

This is my first post - and I am truly upset by your light treatment of Good Friday. In case any of you care, Jesus died for our sins on that day. In most churches - certainly all Catholic churches - there is no Mass because Jesus is "dead". There is a religious service at 3:00 and in the evening. Anyone saying they want to go to Mass is not telling the truth. But what upset me was the jokes and "deep south" humor - not the treatment of the honest question from Spoden. I have been reading and enjoying the Forum for about a month now but think I'll just get on with my work. I'm particularly upset with Don D's response. He seems to make a joke of everything. Why do you think you have a day off? Think twice before being so "flip" in the future. Sorry - but I am truly upset.

System

Thank you Val45 - I guess I have to agree with you.

ray a

Valerie, it saddens me to see your first post is filled with anger. I don't believe anyone was trying to be irreverant. First of all, I don't believe religious faith and humor are mutually exclusive. This is a very important time of the year for many of us in our spiritual lives and no one made light of the significance of this holiday. Second, I do believe Spoden's question was answered, by several posters. The same question has been asked previously concerning non-Christian holidays and was treated seriously and respectfully, if not with some humor added.

It is not uncommon for us to get off on tangents, and that is what happened here. But, the goal was accomplished, too.

I hope you do stop back and join in and realize we are a good group to hang out with, but we are quite diverse in many ways.

sonny

Thanks Ray. I agree and for the record as one of the offenders, I was certainly not meaning to be irreverent and don't understand the offense at the South discussion. For my part, it was in response to JM's comment that in that part of the South, they did not see many who "celebrate". I was trying to point out, apparently poorly, that it is a big deal in this part of the South.

sonny

Beautiful definition, Don. .I agree and would add not just a individual state of mind but a cultural.

Val45

Thanks Ray A - but I stand by my first comment. There are some things that just are not funny. I agree you can mesh religion and humor - but Good Friday is not in that category. The only one who answered the question with respect was DeirdreFR5. I wish you all a Happy Easter. V

ray a

Valerie, that is a very odd statement. Several of us told you exactly what we do in our companies. And when I responded, my post was made with complete respect for both the holiday and the law. And as I reread other posters, I would say the same about them.

Pork

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 04-08-04 AT 09:36AM (CST)[/font][br][br]VAL45: WELCOME ON-BOARD, May you have a Blessed day, week, and year.

Maybe you should read more and research the forum more; please look at the number of postings associated with "Dandy Don", While he may have put some wit or distatesful words to the honest posting of spoden. His first posting on this subject was not "flip" nor distasteful. This is a forum for professional HRs and for the most part we do not personally attack one another, but when we do please do not jump into the "fray" unless you can take the heat. Sit on the side and learn alot, participate with your words and thoughts regardless of what someone else may write. Toss those things aside that you do not care to retain. However, I would challange you to find anyone including myself that has NOT benefitted tremendously from the many postings of "Dandy Don". His experiences are very vast, his words are normally right on, his humor and wit usually score's an A+++ with most everyone.

Please don't leave the forum for we need your input and your insite to issues. Challenge when you want.

TOMORROW IS A HOLIDAY IN MOST PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT UNITS, BUT IF YOU HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW, YOU CAN STILL WORSHIP AND PRAY FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF THE SINS OF THE WORLD AND WE HAVE MANY.

PORK

Don D

Spoden: I had intended to not respond further. My deepest apologies to anyone who was truly offended by any remark I made. However, It is wrong of you or anyone else to assume that I took your question or the value of Good Friday lightly. I responded to your question honestly. The remark I made about C&E Christians came straight from the mouth and pulpit of a Southern Baptist Preacher. I was raised in a strict Southern Baptist environment, home and church and am Baptist today. I hold as much reverence for such things as do you or anyone else. I answered someone's comment who said that Good Friday was not widely recognized in the South. I answered another question about the Deep South. A person from the north may not be expected to understand my reverence for The South, nor will I attempt to explain it here; however, I view my Southerness as God given and nobody has a right to judge my feelings for The South or postulate as to what it, or Jesus for that matter, means to me. There was nothing blasphemous in either of my comments, certainly nothing intended. The Forum is not a place for lectures or lessons on Holiness or religion, although we often go there. Your question was about standard HR practice and company policy, not about our personal feelings about Good Friday. My reply was not meant irreverantly and I am sorry that you and the other objector took it that way.

I am rarely if ever one to apologize. I did, however, think it appropriate since I viewed the cricizm somehow as questioning my religious principles and nobody has a right to do that. If the one month visitor will take some time this weekend to go back and read some of my posts she will know a bit more about me and, although her religion prohibits it, perhaps then she can judge me.

And, although you both stand by your earlier posts, somehow I accept your apologies anyway.