Lab company eliminates holiday pay, gets annoyed when only 3 employees cover the holiday: 'They eliminated the only reason people were willing to sacrifice their holidays'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Sep 18, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

If you want people to work through the holidays, you have to give them the right motivation for it.

Everybody needs a break from their job sometimes, and this is never more important than when a big holiday comes around. Employed or not, most believe this is a time to relax a little and enjoy spending some time with their loved ones. It is hard for any work project to compete with that. 

Nonetheless, some roles have to be performed every day of the year, no matter what. Some companies also simply prefer to be open year-round, and that is something that employees have to accept. This isn't always easy, but more often than not, employers are willing to understand that. They will give some financial incentive for working when almost everybody else with a job is on vacation.

Money will always be the best motivator for the majority of employees, so it is usually fairly effective in ensuring that at least some people will be working the holidays. Take that away, though, and it will be a lot more doubtful whether enough workers will be willing to commit. Why give up that precious time just to be at work like normal?

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  • A woman in a white coat and lab glasses works on a machine.
    via National Cncer Institute

    A woman in a white coat and lab glasses works on a machine. Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
     

  • A company staffed its labs every day of the year so that it could give its customers the fastest possible turnaround, and they knew they had to provide it if they wanted people to work on days that others didn't. They initially offered employees double time for weekends, and triple for public holidays.

    However, they decided only days before Christmas that holiday pay was no longer going to be a policy for them. Workers responded immediately by refusing to work crucial holiday shifts, leaving them scrambling to make up time for their customers.

  • The Company Eliminated Holiday Pay Incentives and Can't Believe People Chose to Stay Home

    The company I work for promises clients turnaround times calculated in calendar days rather than business days, so the lab has to be staffed every day of the year. The job requires a strong background in chemistry and microbiology, which means they already have to compete with
    via gamete_raffle
  • workplaces that offer normal weekends and paid holidays. For years, they covered these shifts by paying double time for weekend shifts and holiday pay plus triple time if you came in to work on a public holiday.
    via gamete_raffle
  • A few days before Christmas, HR announced that the extra holiday pay was being eliminated effective immediately. The email said that paid holidays were intended for rest, but anyone who chose to work would have those holiday hours deducted. They also reminded us that overtime only starts after 40 hours worked, meaning holiday hours would not count toward that total.
    via gamete_raffle

  • The workplace couldn't believe the result of their actions.

    This morning, management sent an email to all employees saying they were "surprised and disappointed" that only three employees volunteered to cover Christmas, and no one came in on New Year's Day, despite several requests. Apparently, this created such a large backlog that the company may have to pay clients around $85,000 in late-delivery penalties.
    via gamete_raffle
  • They eliminated the only reason people were willing to sacrifice their holidays, then acted surprised when people stopped volunteering. It seems very simple to me. If they want someone to work on holidays, the compensation has to be worth giving up their time off.
    via gamete_raffle
  • This work environment is truly toxic and self-serving, so I considered leaving and looking for another job.
    via gamete_raffle
  • A woman in a white coat stands at the back of a lab, working on a machine.
    via National Cncer Institute

    A woman in a white coat stands at the back of a lab, working on a machine. Not actual story subjects.

  • They had a logic behind the decision.

    Boogity2024 In their (only) defense... overtime is based on hours worked, not hours unworked, so if you get a paid day off for a holiday or sick time, those hours are not counted when determining over time.
    via Boogity2024
  • For all the rest, they are clearly delusional. So when did this happen? 2025? And what has happened with all the holidays. since then?
    via Boogity2024
  • Whichammer It's almost like you don't understand that you're a family, OP!
    via Whichammer

  • They saw a result that was to be expected.

    Reasonable-Meal-7684 HA HA It is not even malicious compliance it's just compliance
    via Reasonable-Meal-7684
  • Echolnternational856 I think the biggest problem is 3 people still volunteered. I'm a mid level manager currently getting their MBA. Mine main motivation is so at least one company can exist without idiotic executives.
    via EchoInternational856
  • It's amazing how many don't grasp the basic economics of labor. Which should be the absolute bare minimum qualifications for their position.
    via EchoInternational856

  • It was a stupid management decision.

    Impossible-Print2359 Who ever thought of that will be fired after the 2nd missed deadline.
    via Impossible-Print2359
  • Time_Friend_5997 "only three employees volunteered" let me guess, they are either didnt read the mail, or management bootlickers.
    via Time_Friend_5997

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work stories company policy holiday pay vacation
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