Is Patriot Day a Federal Holiday?

After the worst terrorist attack America has ever seen, many felt forever changed. Suddenly, it didn’t matter how much money or success they had. They began to realize that the human connections in their lives mattered more than any material possessions. As a result, their views on work-life balance became more important. Those that had the means found new ways to live that allowed them to have their careers without missing out on family.

But unfortunately, Patriot Day is not a federal holiday. This means you must keep working as you remember our heroes.

Right now there are 10 federal holidays: New Year’s Day, President’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Columbus Day, Labor Day, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

Over the years since 9/11, people have debated about making it the eleventh holiday or just swapping out one holiday for another. Holiday swapping has lead to many disruptions among different groups of Americans. Italians want to keep Columbus Day, blacks want to keep Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday…

What we must do is keep working as we remember.

Work-Life Balance after 9/11

Corporate culture consultant Morrie Shechtman, chairman of The Shechtman Group, noted, “Our belief that our institutions will somehow protect us has been shattered.” In a Red Cross survey, 36 percent of respondents said they had cut back on work time and increased their time with family and friends after 9/11. The attacks brought our work-life balance into a sharper focus.

More People Began Working for Themselves after 9/11

Individuals didn’t need to lose loved ones in the attacks to recognize that life is too short and they might be better off following their dreams. The number of startups surged post-9/11, although the failure rate of these businesses remained at 50 percent. Freelancing became a strong alternative to starting a traditional business as well.

Some decided to home school their children so they wouldn’t miss a minute of their lives. Others dropped their high-paying jobs to take their lower-paying dream jobs. They learned to cut back and live simpler lives with new, more modest priorities. The stock market took a dive after 9/11. It wasn’t because companies were valued less. It’s because we had been rocked to our core. Our emotions were tanking the market. We were unsure of our selves.

Businesses Took Greater Notice of Work-Life Balance Issues

Many businesses have leveraged technology to meet the increasing demand for work-life balance coming from employees. They use the cloud and other technologies to allow employees more choice and flexibility in their work schedules.

Not everyone has flexible options available to them, but those with the means are making better use of their personal time since 9/11. This Patriot Day, take time to reflect on your career choices and whether an adjustment would benefit your happiness and sense of work-life balance. Because it’s not a federal holiday. At least not yet. So, for now, we must get back to work.

What will you do to commemorate 9/11? How will you remember our fallen heroes?