If you're like most local workers, today's a holiday, too

Is anybody working today? Most government employees are off, colleges are shut and a good chunk of Navy personnel are off-duty.

But some folks will cut their holiday weekend short and return to work the day after Thanksgiving.

Many stores will be open, hungry for Black Friday sales. Plenty of bank tellers, auto mechanics and cable-TV technicians also will be on the job.

Waste-collection workers, who have been bustling lately, won’t get a break either. Every city in South Hampton Roads will have a refuse or waste pickup today.

In Norfolk, the day-after-Thanksgiving collection wasn’t triggered by the nor’easter. The waste management department always works that day, as well as Thanksgiving, city spokesman Bob Batcher said.

It’s become habit for Christopher Bass, a refuse collection supervisor who has worked for the city for 13 years.

On Thanksgiving, he’s home in time for a 6 o’clock dinner with his family. As for the day after, “I’ve been doing it for so many years, my body is geared for it right now,” said Bass, who is 46.

The vast majority of workers, though, will be taking it easy, a study said. Of 507 employers surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management, 72 percent said their offices would be closed today.

Aside from waste-management staff and fire and safety personnel, nearly all city workers will have the day off as a paid holiday. So will employees of local colleges.

The Navy “gives non essential military personnel the opportunity to observe a four-day weekend,” spokeswoman Stacey Byington said. But “nothing is really closed or shut down. We can’t leave ships unattended.”

Norfolk Southern Corp.’s offices are closed today, spokesman Robin Chapman said. It reduced its train operations at 7 a.m. Thursday, but was to return to normal schedules at 7 a.m. today.

Local businesses that reported taking the day off included Stihl Inc., the power-tool manufacturer in Virginia Beach; Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, a coffee distributor based in Portsmouth; and AECOM Technology Corp., KITCO Fiber Optics and Custom Maid, all based in Virginia Beach.

“We like our ladies to have Thursday and Friday off,” said Susan Morales, operations manager of Custom Maid.

Curves, a chain of gyms for women, also are generally closed, said Sabrina Belford, a trainer at the Curves in the Fairfield area of Virginia Beach.

“Friday is a waste of manpower,” she said. “For the most part, people are traveling or they have people coming in from out of town.”

Law and accounting firms also tend to skip work today.

“The timing is perfect,” since it’s well before the crush of the tax season, said Pat Callahan, a partner with the Goodman & Co. accounting firm in Norfolk. “We think it’s probably one of the best family days of the year.”

Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer PC is open, said Marty Einhorn, managing shareholder of the Norfolk accounting firm, “but many people are choosing to take the day off.”

That’s also the case at SAIC, a defense contractor with local offices, and RRMM Architects in Norfolk. RRMM offers a paid holiday “when business is going well, but with the economy being the way it is now, we chose not to do that this year,” said Brian Bonson, the marketing director.

The stuttering economy also has affected the day at BAE Systems Ship Repair in Norfolk. BAE considers the day a holiday, but, in the past, has offered time-and-a-half pay for workers to come in to finish projects. That’s not happening today, spokeswoman Stephanie Moncada said.

PETA, the animal-rights group based in Norfolk, is shutting to observe Fur-Free Friday – its campaign to discourage fur purchases on Black Friday – spokeswoman Laura Lopez said. That allows employees to volunteer at anti-fur demonstrations, including one at MacArthur Center in Norfolk at noon.

Who’s working besides waste collectors and store clerks?

Since it’s not a federal holiday, banks are open. The stock market also will be in session, so Edward Jones Investments offices will be open, said Anne Richardson, local branch administrator.

“It’s a big day for kids who are home from college to come in and work with the broker to get their money straight for next semester,” she said.

It’s a “regular workday” at Cox Communications, spokeswoman Felicia Blow said. “Our field and customer-care departments as well as our retail stores all will be open.”

By midweek, Hair Solutions Beauty Salon in Suffolk was booked for half of today, owner Felecia Jordan said. She expected walk-ins to help fill the day.

For Atomic Plumbing & Drain Cleaning in Virginia Beach, it’s “typically a busy day for calls,” owner Jim Steinle said.

“It’s not related to Thanksgiving the way you might think,” he added. “It’s people getting stuff done because the husband or wife is off.”

Art Walker’s Auto Service and Holland Road Auto Center, both in Virginia Beach, will be open.

“If we don’t take nothing else in, I’ve got plenty to do,” said Walker, who said he had about a dozen storm-damaged cars that needed new carpeting.

Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864,

phil.walzer@pilotonline.com