Millions of reasons to oppose new holiday, Williams told

A business advocacy group has plenty of reasons 90 million of them, actually to persuade Newfoundland and Labrador politicians not to follow provinces that mark a statutory holiday in February.

"For the small business community, it's a bad idea," said Bradley George, executive director of the provincial wing of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

George estimates that a February holiday marked as Family Day on Monday in Alberta and, for the first time, in Saskatchewan would cost Newfoundland and Labrador's economy about $90 million in lost productivity.

"For businesses that stay open it's overtime for them," he said.

"For those that close, they have the same expenses, they have the same overhead but they have no revenue coming in," George said.

Premier Danny Williams has openly mused on adopting a statutory holiday.

"It's something we'd consider, absolutely," Williams said recently.

"We have generous holidays throughout the year," Williams said. "In Newfoundland and Labrador, that January-April period can sometimes can be a dour period."

Governments in Manitoba and Nova Scotia have also said they are considering a February holiday, and last week Toronto MP Peggy Nash, a New Democrat, called for a national paid holiday called Flag Day.

Not all small businesses are taking George's position on a new statutory holiday.

Judy Emberley, who owns Judy's Beauty Salon in Mount Pearl, said an additional holiday could help employees find greater balance with their home lives.

"If it's going to benefit the employees and give them a break, then we do whatever we can for both the employees and clients," said Emberley, adding that after 30 years in business, she has learned that happy employees are productive workers.