![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.une-sen.org\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/familyday_web.png\" "\\"familyday_web\\"")
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For many of us, today is Family Day. And I can bet you a tasty cupcake that in lunchrooms across the country, this question is bound to come up:<\/p>\n
Why am I working family day?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a valid question. Last week, it was Family Day in British Columbia. As Regional Vice-President Jennifer Chieh Ho pointed out to CBC<\/a>, many public service employees had to go to work while businesses and daycares were closed, causing headaches for parents with young children.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my office, I do have quite a few young workers who have little children, and some of them have had to take time off in order for them to spend time with their family, their spouses,\u201d she told CBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n But why is it that public service employees have to work on Family Day?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, for starters, Family Day isn\u2019t a national holiday. It\u2019s a provincial holiday in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Prince Edward Islanders also have a provincial holiday today: it\u2019s called Islander Day \u2013 Manitobans, likewise, have Louis Riel Day.<\/p>\n A federal public servant is entitled to statutory holidays that are fixed by proclamation of the governor-in-council (in other words, it\u2019s a cabinet decision). Provincial holidays are enacted by lieutenant-governors.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a public service employee, there are two roads to getting an extra day off in February:<\/p>\n Family Day would have to become a statutory holiday.<\/strong><\/p>\n Essentially, the federal government would have to pass a law making Family Day a statutory holiday. There was an effort to do something like that in 2007, when NDP MP Peggy Nash introduced a private member\u2019s bill that would have made Flag Day (Feb. 15) a statutory holiday.<\/p>\n