Did You Know?
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City featuring a parade attended by an estimated 25,000 people.
Before President Grover Cleveland signed the law in 1894 making it a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by individual states. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing it in 1887.
President William Howard Taft signed the act creating the U.S. Department of Labor in 1913, and in 1933 Frances Perkins made history when she was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt to be the department’s fourth secretary, becoming the nation’s first woman cabinet member.
Speaker Series Videos Available in DEI Toolkit
Visit the DEI Toolkit to view videos of 2022 Spiritual Diversity Series presentations. Videos include:
•“Exploring the High Holidays of the Jewish Faith”
•“Lunar New Year Through the Spiritual Lens”
•“Holi: The Festival of Colors”
•“Exploring Ramadan: A Blessed Month”
•“Raksha Bandhan & Krishna Janmashtami”
Celebrate Special Observances With Your DEI Personal Day
Meredith Wiersma, physician liaison, business development at HMH, used her DEI Personal Day as part of the celebration of her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in June on a trip to South Africa. She and her kids (ages 8 and 6) visited numerous sites, including Kruger National Park, to gain insight into the nation’s culture.
Houston Methodist provides eligible employees with DEI personal day hours to celebrate days that are special to them and other members of their faith, race, nationality or anything else that makes them unique.
As outlined in HR Policy 72, DEI personal day hours can be used for any reason and in combination with a PTO request, but unlike PTO, it does not roll over to the next year. Employees who moved to a benefits eligible status or were hired after July 1, 2022 will not be eligible for a DEI day until 2023.
If you have used your DEI Personal Day, we would love to see how you’ve spent your time off. Please forward photos of you enjoying your DEI Personal Day to theofficeofdei@houstonmethodist.org.
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