29 mrt 2024 om 05:57
Although Good Friday is not included as a day off in many collective labor agreements, many companies and institutions still close their doors on that day. Why do they choose to stay closed on that day?
Most shops, cafes and banks are open as usual on Good Friday. Most government institutions and schools are closed.
Sometimes the reason for keeping the doors closed is mainly practical. “For example, schools are not that flexible,” says Jannes van der Velde of employers’ organization AWVN. “It is inconvenient if the teachers at a school always take time off separately. That is why many educational institutions use a national holiday such as Good Friday to give everyone time off.”
At some companies, Good Friday is a day off from the past that has stuck around. “In the past, employees were given time off on all Christian holidays,” says Van der Velde. “But there were quite a few. During the course of the nineteenth century we wanted to grow the economy, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of Christian holidays that people were given time off.”
Now we still have a number of official holidays left, such as Christmas and Easter. But they are also no longer sacred, says Van der Velde. “On days when many people are free, others now have to work.” For example, if many people want to sit on a terrace on Easter Monday, the catering staff has to get to work. “So it is actually an illusion that everyone is free on a national holiday. That is no longer the case.”
