Survey Finds Illinois Employers Giving Paid Days Off Favor Christmas Over Jewish Holidays

Christmas is often a paid holiday for many workers. But not all holidays are treated the same.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce surveyed businesses and found a majority of employees are getting paid holidays on Christmas. The same goes for Thanksgiving and New year's. But when it comes to Jewish holidays... or ethnic ones... only a small fraction of businesses pay workers to take those days off.

Liz Kern with the state's Chamber says it's difficult for employers to maneuver myriad religious and secular holidays...

"As ethnicities, religion and even the calendar changes on an annual basis" says Kern, "Illinois employers have had a hard time keeping up with what holidays they should be observing and what trends are other employers seeing."

The Chamber's survey found New Year's Day is when most workers get a paid day off... followed closely by Memorial Day and Labor Day. Christmas is still near the top of the list but as for other religious holidays.. more workers get paid to take their birthdays off.