Association of Female Executives of Trinidad and Tobago

Q: Dear AFETT, Just when I’m on a roll at work, a public holiday appears, out of nowhere, to interrupt my flow. Do you think that T&T just has too many public holidays and are they affecting our productivity?

Jennifer.

A: Dear Jennifer, That’s a loaded question and the answer probably depends on several factors, including whether you are an employer or employee, your degree of job satisfaction and how efficient you are at time management. My personal feeling is that the number of public holidays Trinbagonians enjoy is more or less in tune with our nation’s history as well as the cultural and religious observances of our diverse society.

With 14 public holidays annually, Trinidad and Tobago is pretty much on par with other regional territories (I’m not counting Carnival Monday and Tuesday, which, though quite public, are not “official” holidays). The United States, largely considered to be the bosom of capitalism, boasts 10, not including additional holidays that differ from state to state. China, viewed to be one of the most productive societies in the world, has 11. Switzerland, neutral on almost every other issue, is clearly pro-public holidays, with a whopping 19 on its calendar. Brazil, which according to David Rudder has “the same vibration” as “sweet, sweet T&T” rings in with 16, not counting regional celebrations – but what do you expect in a country where Carnival is a 5-day celebration – while the U.K. is one of the most conservative countries when it comes to celebrating, with about 8 public holidays per year.

I have no doubt that the perception of our having “too many” public holidays stems from the fact that Trinbagonians are irrepressible when it comes to having a good time. Our legendary convivial spirit can turn a wake into a party! We make no apologies for looking forward to our days off and we shouldn’t have to – once we work hard, we deserve a chance to relax and recharge our batteries, whether that means sleeping in, liming with friends or attending a function to mark the holiday occasion.

But there are two sides to every story. The old people have a saying: You give them an inch and they take a yard. When that happens, there is a definite link between holidays and productivity (or lack thereof). Employees in “vacation-mode” often find it hard to bring themselves back to reality, either coming in late or not showing up at all, effectively turning their public holiday into a long weekend. This is fine if their desks are clear, they’ve okayed it with their boss and are clocking it as allotted vacation time – not so much if they’re trying to pull a fast one.

I can understand your frustration at having your work flow interrupted by holidays, but I have found that when you love what you do, when you strive to offer exemplary customer service and care about the quality of your product/brand, you will do whatever it takes to get the job done right – even if it means coming into the office on a public holiday or a weekend. That said, if you have to rely on external suppliers for certain deliverables, you’d better make sure that you have a well planned schedule in order to meet your deadlines – just in case your associates plan on taking their public holiday seriously. Which brings me to my other point: if you manage your work time productively, chances are you will not need to sacrifice your down time as much.

I will never forget an exchange I had with a former employer. After working all night on a very difficult video (this was back in the days of analog editing) to meet an unrealistic deadline, he told me that I didn’t need to work harder; I needed to work smarter. The comment was infuriatingly out of context for the situation (you can go only so fast with analog) but the spirit of the advice is sound: manage your time well. You’ll find that some work and some play makes Jill a very effective executive.

Janine Mendes-Franco is the principal of The New Cheeze, a communications consultancy firm, and a Past President of AFETT.