Summary

• After facing pressure from labour unions, the US government finally declared a statutory holiday for Labour Day in 1894.
• Most of the countries in the world observe Labour Day on 1 May, but Canada celebrates it on the first Monday of September.
• A new study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour that says ‘income-preserving four-day workweeks are effective in supporting the worker’s health and well-being’.
• A 2023 survey shows that about 9 in 10 Canadian workers are interested in a four-day workweek.

Why Does Canada Observe Labour Day in September and Not in May?

Most of the countries in the world observe Labour Day on 1 May, but Canada celebrates it on the first Monday of September. In fact, most of the countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America observe Labour Day on 1 May, and there is a statutory holiday on it.

The reason why over 90 countries observe 1 May as Labour Day is because of an incident that happened on May 4, 1886, in Chicago. It is called the “Haymarket Affair”, during which a handmade bomb was thrown on labour protestors and police, in which at least one policeman and four protestors were killed.

That incident became the base of so many labour movements around the world, and three years later, in 1989, it paved the way for the declaration of May 1 as the International Labour Day.

Finally, after facing pressure from labour unions, the US government finally declared a statutory holiday for Labour Day in 1894. However, US President Grover Cleveland did not want to associate 1 May Labour Day with the socialist parties of Europe and Asia, so he declared the first Monday of September as Labour Day.

In the same year, Canada followed the US and also declared the first Monday of September as Labour Day.

This is how Canada went on a different track than the rest of the world. Had Canada honoured the fallen heroes of Chicago in May like most of the world, we would have been observing this holiday with the world. However, the message of Labour Day still remains the same, no matter when it is observed.

How Did Canadian Workers Lead Labour Movements in North America?

Few Canadians might know that Canadian workers did a long struggle in the second half of the nineteenth century for better working conditions. It is because of their long struggle that workers today have mandatory annual and sick leave and different kinds of health benefits, etc.

In fact, Canadian workers inspired the labour movements in the US. However, it was the US government that had to first reluctantly accept the demands of workers and declare the first Monday of September as Labour Day. Canada only then followed the US.

The incident that altered the course of history of labour movements in North America occurred in 1872. The Toronto Typographical Union (TTU) wanted a 9-hour workday; however, when employers failed to meet the demands, the workers went on strike on March 25, 1872.

During that period, printing workers in Toronto worked 12 hours each day, six days a week. The protests persisted in Toronto, and on April 15, 1872, approximately 10,000 people took to the streets, a significant deployment given Toronto’s population of only 50,000 at the time, according to the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.

These strikes in Canada inspired labour movements in the US, and finally workers started getting proper working conditions in North America.

Does a Four-Day Workweek Improve Productivity?

Different countries around the world are running pilot projects to determine the pros and cons of a four-day workweek.

A new study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour says ‘income-preserving four-day workweeks are effective in supporting the worker’s health and well-being’.

This study was done on 2,896 workers across 141 organisations in Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US over a period of six months. Results show significant improvement in burnout rates, job satisfaction levels, and mental and physical health, etc.

Another reason that employees pointed out was better sleep quality during the four-day workweek that ultimately improved their productivity.

The government of Iceland conducted a pilot project of a four-day workweek over a period from 2015 to 2019. The results showed substantial improvement in workers productivity. This study was conducted on 2,500 government employees who worked 35 or 36 hours a week compared to the standard 40 hours without any reduction in the salaries.

South Africa, Japan, the UK, Spain, Ireland, Canada, Belgium, and other European countries are the leading countries that have extensively done trials on four-day workweeks over the last few years.

Many of the studies that have been conducted in these support the growing body of research that a four-day workweek improves work-life balance, boosts employee satisfaction levels and reduces workers’ burnout.

Can Canada Implement a Four-Day Workweek?

Canada is one of those countries where both the public and private sectors have been promoting a four-day workweek over the last few years.

Studies show about one-third of Canadian workers are reporting high burnout rates.

Just a few years ago, the idea of a four-day workweek seemed like a radical one. However, now many Canadian companies are implementing it because it is boosting workers’ well-being as well as productivity.

Some provincial governments have also taken up this matter. For instance, the province of Ontario in 2022 passed a bill through which the Four-Day Work Week Commission was established to develop recommendations on how the province could implement a four-day workweek.

A 2023 survey shows that about 9 in 10 Canadians workers are interested in a four-day workweek. But they were concerned about the reduction in salary and other related issues.

The campaign for a four-day workweek launched in Canada in 2022; it has gained a lot of traction, but it is still short of its targets. People who have been leading the global campaign for a four-day workweek believe Canada is on the right track and that Canadian labour laws will soon accommodate it.

Conclusion

Today, we enjoy numerous job benefits that 19th- and 20th-century workers could not even dream of. Let’s not forget the sacrifices of labour unions and their leaders who gave their time, money and sometimes their own lives for a better work-life balance for workers.

If you want to read more on Labour Day, you can read our earlier blog titled ‘Labour Day in Canada: Have we forgotten our history?‘

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