Labor Day will be here before we know it on Monday, September 4. For many workers, the day will be a restful one involving a chance for recuperation, socializing and reflecting on the year so far. But how did Labor Day come to be?
The U.S. Department of Labor defines and describes the holiday as follows: "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." Wikipedia digs deeper into how Labor Day came into being, recalling how Chicago's Haymarket riots in May 1886 enticed then-President Grover Cleveland to commemorate the riots with a May 1 holiday. He later sided with the Knights of Labor on the date, who had advocated the first Monday in September. Although the holiday has remained on this date since the late 1880s in the U.S., it is celebrated on May 1 throughout much of the rest of the world.
This year, several organizations and media sources have remarked that the holiday is a chance for employers to take a good look at their workforces to assess what's working and what's not. For instance, the website Business & Legal Reports says that the American Society of Safety Engineers is recommending that employers commemorate Labor Day by conducting a companywide safety audit as part of their efforts to protect workers. And Yahoo! reports that former McKinsey business consultant David G. Thomson is advocating that business leaders take some time to identify customer-centric companies with exponential or compounding revenue growth in order to find thriving, fulfilling workplaces.
Small business leaders: What are your thoughts on changing the ways in which you engage your workforce this Labor Day? Before or after the holiday, are you meeting with staff to outline their development goals for the remainder of the year? We'd love to hear your thoughts on improving the experience of your labor force and, thus, your business.
— Winning Workplaces, August 30, 2006 | Add your thoughts