The Irony of Labor Day

Anyone else find it ironic that Labor Day, which is "a day off for the working citizens," signifies the official end of summer?  It's like all of America's supervisors saying:

Here's a day off.  Get that lax summer attitude out of your system.  Then get back to work!

Despite my efforts with Jobacle, and the economic/civil significance of the holiday, I can't recall ever reflecting on the state of my career on Labor Day.  In fact, my only real memory is betting my little sister that she couldn't stay awake for the entire MDA Telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis.  (Man, I was a cruel big brother!  But for the record, the challenge is still open, since she's never been able to do it.)

How hard can I really celebrate the creation of the eight-hour workday in the United States?  It doesn't matter anyway, because, like you, I'm too busy packing away all of those white shoes to care.

The number of holidays off continues to shrink, with Election Day and veteran's Day disappearing from many corporate calendars.  At least we have Labor Day. For now. (There are always sick days too!)

Comments

[Blake Seven]

Are we really supposed to "reflect" on our career siuation on Labor Day? Ugh, I hope not! I'm sick of working and of thinking about work. It's nice to have a day off too but I find that short work weeks tend to feel longer than regular ones. I guess I don't really have a point - I'm just delaying going to bed so I feel like I have more of my weekend left. Cheers!

[Cheryl]

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, became a national holiday in the United States in 1892. While many today don’t recall the exact reason why we honor the day, most can identify with the evolution of the workforce and workplace throughout the years. As we reflect on Labor Day and the nation’s economy continues to waver with an increase in unemployment, it is becoming increasingly harder to navigate uncertain workplace environments.