Overtime pay for Thanksgiving work?

Earlier this year, lawmakers in California shot down a measure that would have granted employees required to work on Thanksgiving time-and-a-half pay. The bill applied only to retail and grocery store workers at businesses with more than 500 employees.

There is currently no law in New Hampshire requiring employers to provide overtime pay for employees who work on holidays.

Supporters of the move argued that as many retailers push up their Black Friday promotions earlier into Thanksgiving Day, many employees are forced to work irregular hours for no additional pay, instead of spending the holiday with their families. The bill ensures that at least those workers would receive fair compensation for their time.

Opponents counter that the bill would unfairly handicap brick-and-mortar stores, which are trying to compete with online retailers for holiday shopping dollars. Others argue that the decision to offer overtime pay on holidays is best left to businesses.

UPDATE: Read our Citizen Voices℠ report and find out where New Hampshire stands on this issue.