TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — Several years ago, most local businesses would be closed on holidays like Labor Day.

But today, life goes on, and on a holiday, people still find the need for those businesses - like restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores. And many others are also offering life-saving resources, like doctors, paramedics, police officers and firefighters.

Local workers say even if they find themselves working on Labor Day, they appreciate a nod of approval from the boss, or maybe a card thanking them for their effort and work ethic.

“You want to know you’re doing a good job, and that they like what you do for the company,” said Cathy Jones-Littledeer. “And I think that can be a greeting card, just a note, maybe a small gift or bonus. There are many ways to show appreciation.”

Other workers who participated in Labor Day weekend activities around Cherokee County agreed with Jones-Littledeer, saying sometimes it is a simple gesture that means the world.

Some said their employers still allow them the holiday off, even while many businesses open their doors.

Businesses often buy newspaper, TV or radio advertisements to voice the boss’ appreciation for his or her employees.

Mark Robertson, manager of the local Wal-Mart, bought an ad in the Daily Press thanking the store’s more than 400 employees for their dedication to customer service. Tahlequah City Hospital also purchased an ad to thank its employees.

Ami Maddocks, of TCH, said the hospital offers quality services not common in rural settings.

“We know this is possible only because of the 685 talented individuals that work here,” said Maddocks. “As a way to recruit and retain employees, we have implemented several employee benefits, rewards and recognitions.”

For instance, TCH thanks its employees through its annual employee anniversary gift and breakfast with the CEO; a Gold Coin Program for employees who go “above and beyond” typical job duties; holiday bonuses; annual wage increases for performance; and activities and gifts celebrating National Hospital Week and the holiday season.

There’s also a benefits package, which features like health insurance, dental and life insurance, a retirement plan, flexible spending account and Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan.

“TCH provides approximately $60,000 per year in employee scholarships and tuition reimbursement,” said Maddocks.

TCH offers a number of educational opportunities to its employees, spending more than $450,000 yearly. The hospital also encourages employees to improve quality of life, and urges membership in civic organizations like Court Appointed Special Advocates, Rotary, Kiwanis and more. (And almost as important, TCH offers its employees time to participate in such organizations.)

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day is a result of the labor movement from the late 1800s, and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

“It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” states the DOL Web site, www.dol.gov.

The first Labor Day – Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882 – was celebrated in New York City, as part of the Central Labor Union. Two years later, the first Monday in September was designated as the holiday. Organizations like CLU were encouraged to participate in similar celebrations to honor the “workingmen’s holiday.” The holiday idea spread around the nation as labor organizations grew in number.

In the years following 1883, Labor Day legislation would be passed, and in 1894, Congress passed an act to make the first Monday of September a legal holiday.

The first proposal for to make Labor Day a national holiday outlined observance and celebration, including a street parade to show the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of communities, according to the DOL. Parades could be followed by a festival for workers and their families.

“The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem,” says the DOL.

Coverage is now focused around the media, including newspapers, radio and TV.

“The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy,” the DOL Web site reads. “It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.”