Don’t limit celebrations to “how we’ve always done it”
As summer winds down, we enter a season of fall colours, sweater weather, and holidays. From Labour Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, and the winter holidays, each occasion may bring time away from work for different reasons and under different rules. Not every workplace recognizes the same general holidays—and your organization does not have to let the minimum standard define its culture.
Many of Canada’s public holidays are rooted in Christian and Western European traditions. While employers must accommodate different religious practices, building a holiday calendar solely around government-recognized dates can unintentionally suggest that some beliefs and traditions are the norm while others are exceptions or administrative challenges, ultimately creating feelings of exclusion. That should make us pause.
Of course, employers must meet their legal obligations for public holiday pay and time off. But compliance should be the starting point, not the finish line. A stronger opportunity for attracting and retaining employees—and supporting psychological health and safety—is to recognize what matters to people, honour their traditions, and build flexible practices that allow teams to celebrate those differences together.
It’s a day off—why does it matter?
Several businesses I have worked with throughout my career have recognized that the public or statutory holidays set out in employment legislation are only the bare minimum—and that many are rooted in colonial and religious traditions. By offering flexible holiday scheduling, along with alternative or discretionary holidays beyond the legal minimum, workplaces can better recognize employee diversity and build more inclusive cultural practices.
As an employee based in Ontario, the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Remembrance Day are not public holidays for me, but they are both important to how I participate in my community. Owl Insight provides these days off with pay so employees can deepen our understanding of our relationships with Indigenous Peoples and the forces that shaped this country. If that were not part of our business, I could instead ask to reallocate my public holiday observance from Good Friday or Victoria Day, provided we followed the applicable employment standards requirements.
This is what inclusion actually looks like
Offering employees alternative observance dates of existing holidays or additional discretionary holidays for what matters to them and their communities can deliver a meaningful return on investment. It shows employees that your organization’s recognition is not limited to one religion or cultural tradition. It also creates more inclusive structures that strengthen psychological health and safety, foster belonging, support the attraction and retention of talent, and demonstrate that the organization truly values the diversity of its staff.
How we get there matters. Employers need to comply with the law, communicate clearly with employees, and apply processes consistently. First, policies for public holidays and any additional discretionary holidays should address employment standards requirements, including written agreements for any changes or substitutions. Next, organizations should provide clear guidelines and apply them consistently for all employees. This may include creating more inclusive workplace calendars that proactively recognize a wider range of faiths and cultural milestones. Finally, these practices should be built into operational planning and normalized as part of the workplace culture.
If you’re looking for support to move beyond compliance, our team of HR Advisors and Consultants can help you create workplace practices that recognize, respect, and make space for what matters to your people.
This piece was shaped with some AI support, alongside our experience working with leaders in real organizations.
From the Owl Insight team and lead collaborator: {Rebecca Wilkinson, Senior HR Consultant & Operations Manager}
Rebecca.Wilkinson@OwlInsightHR.ca
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Blog Photo by:Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
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