4-Day Weekend? Some Get It and Some Don’t in O.C.

The Internal Revenue Service in Laguna Niguel will be open for business on Monday.

So, for that matter, will the county assessor’s office in Santa Ana.

“We’re busy, busy, busy,” said County Assessor Bradley L. Jacobs. “We will absolutely be working and I personally will be here.”

But plenty of Orange County companies are taking a more laid-back approach to the Monday before the Fourth of July.

“The weather looks like it’s going to be terrific and there is a nice south swell coming in, so we thought we’d give them the day off,” said Bob McKnight, president of Quiksilver, a Costa Mesa surf-wear firm that has scheduled an extra holiday on Monday for its 230 employees.

Because the Fourth falls on a Tuesday this year, employers were forced to decide whether to give their workers an extra holiday or require them to report for duty on Monday and forfeit a four-day weekend.

The costs of starting and stopping an assembly line for one day’s work was the reason cited by many manufacturing firms for opting to give their employees four days off. Workers at the Orange County divisions of Hughes Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell International, Northrop, Unisys and Western Digital are among those that are getting Monday off.

Not so for stockbrokers and other employees in Orange County’s active financial industry, who will be at their desks bright and early Monday morning. The reason: U.S. stock exchanges will be open and trading.

People working for most retailers, amusement parks and restaurants will also be working. The Fourth of July weekend is among the busiest sales periods of the year, and doors of those establishments will remain open.

Nearly all of Orange County’s flag shops, for instance, were preparing for big business Monday.

“I’m going to be open for those last-minute people who want to fly the nation’s colors,” said Les Bursten, president of the Discount Flag Outlet in Tustin.

But among those employees who have to work Monday--and even Tuesday--many were taking it in stride.

“This is a fun place even though you are working,” said Debbie Hutton, marketing services manager for Wild Rivers Waterpark in Irvine. “It’s not like we’re in a bank or a depressing-type place.”

Banks, savings and loans and post offices all will be open Monday. And the 14,000 people who work for the county are expected to report for duty.

“The holiday is July 4, so they have a Tuesday off,” said Russ Patton, the county’s personnel director.

But what about Monday?

“No,” he said.

Was it ever discussed?

“No,” he repeated.

Employees at Clark Dye Hardware in Santa Ana were told that Monday was a regular work day too. “There was no debate at all,” said Tom Marquis, the store’s general manager. “We are open Monday and closed Tuesday.”

Some employers, however, said they were remaining closed Monday because they thought that productivity would be too low in the midst of Fourth of July festivities.

“It’s just not worth working Monday and then taking (off) Tuesday. You just can’t get the guys back to work,” said Mike Harley, foreman for Silveri-LeBouef Construction in Anaheim. His 10-man crew is installing pipe at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and McFadden Street.

“We probably wouldn’t get much output out of them on Monday anyway,” said Alfred Gobar, president of the Brea consulting firm that bears his name.

Some employers, however, claimed that they were giving employees Monday off purely out of kindness.

“Sure, I’ll lose money,” said Dino Petro, owner of Fiesta Transmission in Santa Ana. “This is the hottest season for car repair, but the guys can’t really have a good rest, eat and drink too much, and then go right back to work,” he said. “It’s a lost weekend.”

Some top-level managers said they were allowing employees an extra holiday but were planning to work themselves.

“I’m the boss,” said Gobar, who has 15 employees. “My compensation is dependent on how well the company does, but everyone else’s salary is guaranteed by my benevolence.”

Some companies budgeted for an extra holiday this year because the Fourth fell on a Tuesday, but others said they were simply trimming a day from employees’ Christmas vacations and transfering it to July.

“They are happy now,” said Carm Santoro, president of Silicon Systems in Tustin, which has given its 850 employees in Orange County a four-day weekend. “They probably won’t be at Christmas.”

OPEN AND SHUT:What’s operating and what’s not. Part II, Page 2.