Most U.S. employers give paid day for Thanksgiving

With all the hoopla over Thanksgiving Day door busters, it's easy to assume that most employers are gobbling up their workers' Turkey Day.

But 99 percent of U.S. employers give their workers a paid day off on Thanksgiving, according to a Bloomberg BNA survey. Thirty-six percent of them require a least some of their employees to work on that national holiday, up modestly from a year ago.

The majority of U.S. companies -- 73 percent -- give their workers not only Thanksgiving Day off but also the day after. That's remained virtually unchanged for the past two years.

Workers at smaller companies have a better shot at kicking back for a long Thanksgiving weekend than their colleagues at larger enterprises. Among companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, 81 percent of the employers plan to grant two paid days off. Among the larger firms, 56 percent plan to give workers the two days.

Manufacturers are the most generous with paid time off at Thanksgiving. The survey found that 93 percent have scheduled the two days off. And that sector is also the most generous with gifts. Nearly a quarter, or 24 percent, plan to give workers a Thanksgiving gift, versus 9 percent for nonmanufacturing enterprises.

Bloomberg BNA, an Arlington, Va.-based subsidiary of Bloomberg LP, provides business, regulatory and business information for professionals.