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Nothing is more painful than having to work on Christmas, public holidays and New Year’s Eve. Your family and friends are having the best time, but you are busy sitting in front of your computer troubleshooting that one line of code, thinking this is wrong and you should not be here. Is this you, and is this okay?
If you are an engineer working during public holidays, you are not alone, as in the US alone, there are almost 5.3% or around 12,190 engineers in industries such as tech, IT services, construction, energy, airline and telecommunication work during public holidays to provide support and maintenance to platforms, services and projects so that it does not crash or fail.
Is your job as an engineer critical? Absolutely YES.
Not fair? Maybe.
Many engineers feel that extra work hours on weekends, public holidays, and even working at night is unfair.
This is okay to feel since many engineers work very hard solving complicated problems, which most are getting paid very little for (Read: Average Engineers Salary).
But now they also have to give up their weekends and public holidays to work.
Many have gone through excruciating 4 years of university study and feel that their reward for the hard work is to be stuck in the office for more hours than they should.
Unfortunately, this way of thinking is more common among engineers than I realised at first. This is unusual since this is a career where the majority are very passionate; read: We Asked 1000 Engineers If They Are Happy.
The first time I felt this kick of negative thinking was when I had to work during nights, and then I had to work during public holidays.
Although I knew my role and work were very critical, I could not help but feel slightly uncomfortable.
However, when I realised that I was not the only one. That is when I got intrigued to find out how many of us actually work have to work on public holidays.
Surprise surprise! I was shocked to find out that 5.3% of engineers have to work during public holidays.
You are not alone. And your role is very much important.
So welcome to the club.
Are Engineers Working On Public Holidays Get Paid?
Most engineers are paid a salary which is a figure predetermined based on a minimum amount of hours worked during the week, usually 8 hours a day from Monday to Friday. Therefore, engineers working on public holidays are usually not paid.
Unless you have a deal with your company or you happen to work a lot of public holidays in which, you might be able to claim some financial benefits for working on those days.
For more details, check: We Asked 100 Engineers How Many Hours Do They Work?
Can Engineers Refuse Work On Public Holidays?
Engineers can refuse to work on public holidays, but in most cases, employers and management will require engineers to work on public holidays for very critical reasons. However, refusal to work on public holidays can be reasonable and acceptable if the engineer is not given enough notice in advance.
What Is A Typical Day For An Engineer Working On Public Holidays?
Engineers working on public holidays are most likely required to maintain or troubleshoot ongoing issues; there is generally less stress with fewer tasks than normal, but it still requires engineers’ attention and presence.
