Many Illinois businesses use the Chamber’s Annual Holiday Survey as a useful tool in helping them to determine holiday benefits for employees. A tradition for decades at the Chamber, the survey has long been regarded as the standard to follow. With nearly 700 responses from a cross-section of Illinois businesses, the results provide a good indicator of what employers have planned for 2012.
Holidays included in this survey are Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, President’s Day, Washington’s Birthday, Casimir Pulaski’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Jewish Holidays, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Employee’s Birthday. (The entire 2012 Holiday Survey results are on the next page.)
Compiled from hundreds of responses from Illinois businesses of all size and industries, the survey indicated that the average number of paid holidays for Illinois workers is 8.2 days, slightly lower than in 2011. The average number of paid personal days is 2.8 days.
2011 Illinois Chamber Paid Holiday Survey Results
Holidays and Percentage of Firms Observing as a Paid Holiday
New Year’s Day 2012
Friday, December 30 – 9.3%
Monday, January 2 – 79.6%
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (observed) – Monday, January 16, 20.9%
Lincoln‘s Birthday – Sunday, February 12 – 1.8 %
President’s Day (Washington/Lincoln Day) – Monday, February 20 – 20.3%
Washington‘s Birthday – Wednesday, February 22 – <1%
Casimir Pulaski’s Birthday (observed) Monday, March 5 – <1%
Good Friday – Friday, April 6 – 33.9%
Memorial Day – Monday, May 28 – 97.2%
Independence Day – Wednesday, July 4 – 97.4%
Labor Day – Monday, September 3 – 97.5%
Columbus Day – Monday, October 8 – 10.6%
Election Day – Tuesday, November 8 – Half day or full day off – <1%
Veterans Day – Sunday, November 11 (observed on Monday) – 14.8%
Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 21 – 2.5%
Thursday, November 22 – 97.5%
Friday, November 23 – 68.7%
Christmas
Monday, December 24 – 53.7%
Tuesday, December 25 – 97.5%
New Year’s Eve
Monday, December 31 – 35.1%
Employees Birthday – 2%
Floating Holiday (1 or more days) – 4%
Jewish Holidays (1 or more days) – .4%
Average number of paid holidays – 8.2; Average number of paid personal days – 2.8
Number of firms responding – 660
Percentage of firms from each industry classification responding
Manufacturing – 24.6%
Services – 11.8%
Finance/Banking – 4.3%
Retail Trade – 2.7%
Wholesale Trade – 4.8%
Insurance/Real Estate – 7.4%
Utility/Transport/Communications – 2.5%
Construction – 3.4%
Non-Profit/Association/Chamber of Commerce – 22.1%
Other – 15.6%
The Illinois Chamber is the state’s largest diverse business organization. It has served as the voice of business in Illinois since 1919. For more information on the Chamber, visit our website at www.ilchamber.org; email: [email protected].