Do you take your birthday off work?

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I noticed this in another thread,and rather than derail that thread, I just wanted to ask, is it customary for people to take their birthday off as a holiday? :confused:
 
Can’t say that I remember ever taking a day from school or from work to celebrate. If my birthday falls throughout the week, I normally just celebrate it on the following Saturday.
 
One’s birthday does not negate the obligation one has to their place of work. My grandmother always said it is a blessing to be able to work on your birthday. Everyone else works on my birthday, so I would be sitting home alone anyway. Folks at work usually pass around a card for someone’s birthday and have cake at afternoon break. I would never take off on my birthday. The only time I took off for something like this was our 25th Anniversary. I did take my 50th birthday off…for 10 days…I went on pilgrimage to Assisi, but that was vacation time.
 
I have always save 1 vacation day for my birthday. It’s mine to use when I want anyway.
 
I voted no because I’m in grad school now and I don’t think my professors would take it too well if I cut class because it was my birthday! 😃

However, I used to work at a research hospital and you could take your birthday off. It was one of the designated holidays along with Christmas, New Year’s, etc. You were entitled to a paid day off within one month of your birthday. I think this was very unusual, though. I definitely don’t think “it’s my birthday” would cut it at a workplace where this was not policy.
 
ChristinaM said:
I definitely don’t think “it’s my birthday” would cut it at a workplace where this was not policy.
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This is exactly what I was thinking. But it seems as if some people assume that “it’s my birthday” is a sufficient reason to not show up for certain things - including work. 🤷

I was just wondering how wide-spread that is. (And whether I could get away with it, this year … 😃 )
 
Apryl said:
Well, I can’t imagine a CHILD taking the day off for their birthday. 😦
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My great-grandmother’s school used to do that when she grew up in Germany. Granted, her birthday was the same day as the Kaiser’s birthday, which they also got off for. So, she only got 1 day off, not two.

My birthday is Feb. 1st, so even if it were on the calendar, by the time anyone looks at it (for staff parties), it’s already Feb. 2nd or 3rd. 🤷
 
I can’t imagine any adults I know thinking their employers owe them a day off on their birthdays.

However, if someone has vacation days and chooses to use one on his or her birthday, so what?
 
I don’t celebrate birthdays. My co-workers don’t know when my birthday is and I feel no obligation to know when theirs is. The less attention paid to the passage of time the better, AFAIC.😃
 
I actually worked for a company that gave you a paid day off on your birthday. However mine falls between Christmas and New Years, so I take the entire week off. 👍
 
I see nothing wrong with it and it certainly isn’t immature. If you cause somebody an unusual amount of stress by doing so, like calling it in at the last minute, then yes, that would be sufficient to garner some amount of lack of charity charges anyway.

In my own case, I took a floating holiday for it once. Mine was well planned in advance though. As far as skipping it, I don’t skip period, and I don’t call in sick when I’m not. One good thing about taking off on your birthday though, at least it practically guarantees it won’t turn out to be a rotten day. It’s all the more sweeter if it falls on a monday or friday.
 
Apryl said:
Well, I can’t imagine a CHILD taking the day off for their birthday. 😦
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Yes, can you imagine, assuming it fell on a schoolday, “Okay Chrissy is going to take her floating holiday on her birthday so she won’t be in”.

“But we don’t get floaters”.

“It doesn’t matter”.:cool:
 
kage_ar said:
I cannot imagine an adult taking off work for their birthday.
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My former employer automatically gave you your bday off paid so obviously someone imagined adults taking their bday off. I usually request my bday off, I work retail so my schedule is flexible. Hubby has some years used a personal day for his bday.
 
Before I became a stay-at-home mome, I was a teacher of high school freshmen. One of my friends had flowers delivered to my classroom on my birthday and you would not believe the chaos it caused. Each class period, as the students walked in, they made such a big deal of it. I do not take the day off of work and I prefer to celebrate with my family, when I do celebrate.
 
I’ve never taken it off…if it falls on a workday we just celebrate on the weekend…

My employer has a giant cake delivered once a month for all employees to enjoy…it’s not really a celebration, but it’s kind of a token “Happy Birthday”
 
My birthday is the day before Korean Independence Day, so I’ve had the day after my birthday off for the last five years. It was especially nice because that was one of the few holidays that my boyfriend’s company observed, so he could always have the day off to spend with me. They wouldn’t give him Christmas off, but I could see him on my birthday.

I can’t imagine taking my birthday off work unless it was one of my vacation days. My birthday’s not that important, you know? It can wait until the following weekend.
 
Nah, my birthday is no big thing.

The only day I have specifically requested off was November 11 (Remembrance Day). As a 20-year member* of the CF and a descendant of war vets (one a Blue Puttee), I wanted to pay my respects at one of the city’s cenotaphs.

*The Gov’t of Canada’s policy notwithstanding, I am not comfortable calling myself a “veteran” because I have not been in combat.
 
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