Labor Day: Appreciation, Boundaries, and a Smart Tuesday Re-Entry

Cynthia Jenkins
Sep 1
2 min read

Labor Day is about recognizing the people who make your business work—today, not just in planning for tomorrow. If your organization is closed, set clear boundaries so your team can truly rest. If you’re open, lead with gratitude, safety, and fairness. Either way, use today to strengthen trust and set up a smooth Tuesday.

1) Lead With Thanks (Make It Specific)

A generic “thank you” is fine; a targeted one is better. Call out one or two real wins from the last quarter—projects completed, service levels hit, or a client you retained because a team went the extra mile. This ties appreciation to outcomes and shows employees you notice the details.

Try this: “Today we honor the work behind the scenes—scheduling that kept customers covered, the late-night bug fix that saved a rollout, and the field crews who delivered safely in August heat. Thank you for showing up for our clients and for one another.”

2) Protect Rest—Model Boundaries

Rest is part of performance. Leaders should avoid sending messages today unless truly urgent. If something isn’t time-sensitive, queue it with schedule-send for Tuesday morning. For nonexempt staff, even a “quick check-in” is compensable time; honor your policy consistently.

Practical moves:

Silence non-urgent channels; use one emergency line if needed.
Remind managers to not “just text” nonexempt employees for favors.
If someone does work today, ensure the time is recorded and paid per policy.

3) If You’re Open Today: Be Fair, Safe, and Clear

Some teams work on holidays. Keep today simple, transparent, and safe.

Scheduling fairness: Follow your posted rotation; document any swaps.
Pay clarity: Apply your written holiday pay policy consistently (and, where applicable, any CBA terms).
Safety refresh: Re-brief on heat/hydration, vehicle rules, and equipment lockout/tagout.
Customer expectations: Update voicemail and web hours so no one is stuck fielding avoidable escalations.

4) Micro-Gestures That Matter

You don’t need a big budget to make today feel meaningful.

An extra hour off on Friday (pre-approved and posted) for teams that worked this weekend.
A gift-card raffle for on-duty crews.
Shout-outs in a Tuesday stand-up to highlight holiday coverage and wins.

5) Document Today for Tomorrow

A few notes now save headaches later:

Log who worked, when, and any premium pay applied.
Capture exceptions (e.g., last-minute coverage, urgent maintenance).
Note any “almost incidents” (near misses) so you can close gaps this week.

6) Make Tuesday Easier (and More Productive)

Plan a calm re-entry that respects people and customers.

No-meeting window: Block the first 60–90 minutes for inbox triage and priority sorting.
10-minute manager huddles: Surface blockers, redistribute workloads, confirm priorities.
Customer first: Address escalations and safety checks before chasing lower-value tasks.
Recognize the work: Open Tuesday with a short note thanking both the teams who rested and those who covered.

Labor Day is a values test: appreciation, fairness, and follow-through. Use today to honor the contribution of your people—and use tomorrow to prove it with clear priorities, clean processes, and consistent pay practices. If you’d like help with a quick policy check or a post-holiday debrief template, Elevated HR is here!