Why this company lets its employees choose their public holiday dates

PepsiCo will allow its Australian employees to choose public holiday dates that are culturally appropriate.

PepsiCo employee Larissa Thamniamjad.

PepsiCo employee Larissa Thamniamjad. Source: SBS News

Soft drink giant PepsiCo wants to give its Australian employees the option to swap out some public holidays for more culturally appropriate celebrations.

The trial has been dubbed "floating cultural holidays" and PepsiCo says it reflects its diverse workforce. 

Such days could include Chinese New Year and Diwali.




PepsiCo Australia CEO Danny Celoni said "what we didn't want to do is impose the Australian public holidays, or the Anglo-Saxon holidays on a diverse culture".

For Buddhist employee Larissa Thamniamjad, the move meant she would be able to celebrate the numerous Buddhist holidays on the calendar without using her annual leave.

She said such celebrations "keep me grounded ... [But] I still respect the culture of Australia".

"I would love to take [some] days off and go to the temple, which is quite far away. Living in Australia, we don't have temple on every corner like in Bangkok."



But the trial for its 1,800 employees won't be extended to some holidays which are non-negotiable.

"The days we've decided to hold onto are some of the more traditional ones like New Year's Day, Australia Day, Christmas and Easter," Mr Celoni said.

Other employers like music streaming company Spotify and the United Nations similarly offer floating holidays.

Also this week, the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to institute a Reconciliation Day public holiday - celebrating Indigenous culture by replacing Family Day.


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2 min read

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By Myles Morgan


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