Contract Glaziers Speak Out on Weekends and Holidays: To Work or not to Work

The decision to keep doors open or shut on weekends and holidays such as Labor Day in the glass business is as individual as the businesses themselves. By and far, contract glaziers prefer to keep the doors closed, however, demand and/or necessity can be the determining factors when it comes to working weekends and holidays.

At Alamo Glass in Dallas, owner Cory Worsham says his company's employees need and take their allotted holidays. "We are closed Saturdays and holidays. However, by doing so, we must be prepared for the rush of work when we reopen after the weekend or after a holiday. For example," Worsham points out, "the Tuesday after a Monday holiday [such as Labor Day] is always hectic from the work that has been called in over a long weekend. Sometimes we'll have to work overtime throughout that week to catch up, but that's just a given and we get through it. In terms of the bottom line, being closed weekends and holidays doesn't hurt us. Our staff members have earned and deserve their days off."

Metuchen Glass serves a good portion of Middlesex County in New Jersey and used to offer Saturday hours. Today, this small glazing contractor with more than three decades of experience in the industry is closed on weekends and holidays. The company typically has a glazier at the office early in the morning for customers to stop in before work, which ultimately eliminated the need for Saturday hours. However, it will make exceptions for a customer that has a big job requiring Saturday work.

"It's our workload and construction timeline that are the determining factors in whether or not we can take off for a holiday," explains James McLean, glass superintendent at Sunbelt Glaziers, a mid-size glazing contractor servicing the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area. McLean and his staff of seven generally work five days a week, but sometimes duty calls and they need to make adjustments to that schedule.

"We had a job with a tight schedule and ended up working over the fourth of July," continues McLean. "Our workload was more manageable over the Labor Day weekend and we enjoyed having that three-day holiday."

When Larry's Glass in Prescott Valley, Ariz., was founded in 2002 the decision was made to avoid weekend and holiday work if at all possible. "So far, we've done pretty well with a five-day work week," says Steve Wood, the company's estimator. "We focus on the commercial end of the market, maintain a steady workload and are able to keep our weekends and holidays to ourselves."

Washington Glass & Glazing in Everett, Wash., also only handles commercial work. "Our company, which fabricates frames and installs glass, has made it a long-standing practice to keep its weekends and holidays open," notes company accountant," Joe Januszewski. "We don't need to work weekends and holidays so we don't."

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