International Workers' Day 2027: what May 1 is and how global teams mark it

When is International Workers' Day 2027?

International Workers' Day 2027 is Saturday, May 1, 2027. It is always May 1, whatever the weekday.

Where May Day comes from

It started in the United States, with a demand for the eight-hour working day.

1. 1884A US labor federation sets May 1, 1886 as the date the eight-hour working day should become standard.
2. May 1, 1886A nationwide US strike for the eight-hour day begins.
3. May 4, 1886At a rally for the eight-hour movement in Haymarket Square, Chicago, a bomb is thrown as police move in. Seven police officers and at least four civilians die.
4. July 1889The founding congress of the Second International, in Paris, calls for an international demonstration for the eight-hour day on May 1, 1890.
5. May 1, 1890The first May Day demonstrations take place across the US and much of Europe.
6. 1891A congress in Brussels makes May Day an annual event.

May 1 was a spring festival in much of Europe long before 1886, with maypoles and flowers, and some places still mark both on the same day.

Sources: Wikipedia on International Workers’ Day, the Haymarket affair and the Second International.

International Workers' Day vs. Labor Day

Same idea, different date. A company with offices in the US and Europe has two workers' days on its calendar, four months apart.

• International Workers' Day. May 1, and a public holiday in many countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.
• US Labor Day and Canadian Labour Day. The first Monday of September (September 6 in 2027). Both countries made it a national holiday in 1894.
• May 1 in the US. Also Law Day and Loyalty Day, both observances. Offices stay open.

Which countries have a public holiday on May 1?

47 countries and territories where May 1 is a public holiday, by region. The full list is longer, and rules change, so confirm with your local payroll calendar each year.

Not a day off on May 1

• United States and Canada. Labor Day (Labour Day in Canada) is the first Monday of September.
• United Kingdom and Ireland. The bank holiday is the first Monday in May, so it lands on May 1 only when May 1 is a Monday.
• Australia. Labour Day varies by state; Queensland and the Northern Territory mark it on the first Monday in May.
• New Zealand. Labour Day is the fourth Monday in October.
• Japan. Not a national holiday, though it falls in Golden Week, when many people take time off.
• India and Switzerland. It depends on the state or canton.
• Netherlands, Denmark and Israel. Not an official public holiday.

How to mark it with a global team

The respectful version is mostly about scheduling. Thanks is welcome; politics is not the company's to add.

1. Put it on the shared calendar by country. Name the day and list which offices are closed, so nobody books a call with an empty room.
2. Keep company-wide moments off May 1. No launches, all-hands or deadlines that need people who are on holiday. Move them a day, or record them.
3. Plan cover weeks ahead. If support or operations run every day, agree who works May 1 and how they are paid under local rules.
4. Write handoff notes the working day before. Colleagues in offices that stay open know what can wait and who to call if it can't.
5. Set expectations for the teams still working. A short note to the offices that stay open, such as the US and Canada, that replies from closed offices will come the next working day.
6. Say thanks, not slogans. A company note on the day can thank people for their work and stop there.
7. Keep politics out of company channels. May 1 brings marches and rallies in many countries. Whether someone takes part is their own business.
8. Mark it in the week, not on the day. If you hold an appreciation event, put it in a working week for everyone, with a session in each region's hours.

9 happy Workers' Day messages and out-of-office lines

Copy a line and change the details. Brackets are for names and places.

A note from the company

Short, warm and about the work. Post it the working day before, so people read it before they log off.

1. 1

   May 1 is International Workers' Day, a public holiday in many of our offices. Thank you for the work you put in every day. Enjoy the time off.

   Copy
2. 2

   To everyone off for May Day: thank you for all you've done this year, and rest well.

   Copy
3. 3

   Happy International Workers' Day to our teams around the world. Your work is what this company is made of.

   Copy
4. 4

   Many of you have May 1 off. Thank you for setting up your handoffs, and enjoy the day.

   Copy
5. 5

   Today is a day to thank the people who do the work. That's all of you. Thank you.

   Copy
6. 6

   Happy Workers' Day to everyone marking it today, and thanks to the teams covering for them.

   Copy

Out-of-office lines for May 1

For the auto-reply of anyone on holiday.

7. 7

   Thank you for your email. Our office is closed on May 1 for Labour Day, and I will reply when I'm back on [date].

   Copy
8. 8

   I'm out of office for the May 1 public holiday. For anything urgent, please contact [name] at [email].

   Copy
9. 9

   Our [city] team is away for International Workers' Day and back the next working day. Thank you for your patience.

   Copy

More auto-replies are in our out-of-office messages.

An appreciation hour that fits every time zone

If you want to thank people around May 1, hold it in a working week, with a session for each half of the world.

• A hosted game or talk. A live host runs it on your video call. Book 2 weeks ahead; teams split across time zones can have it run as two sessions.
• A gift to each home. Employee appreciation gifts ship to each person's address, so remote staff get the same thanks as the office.

See every format on our virtual employee appreciation page, browse employee appreciation gifts, or get a free quote with your date, headcount and countries. We reply within 24 hours.

Planning the rest of the year? Our diversity calendar lists holidays to schedule around, and the employee engagement calendar has a moment for every month.