Emory Healthcare Replaces Christmas Eve With Juneteenth on Paid Holiday Calendar

The largest hospital system in Georgia, Emory Healthcare, has scrapped Christmas Eve from its paid holiday calendar and added Juneteenth. Employees will now have to use paid time off to celebrate the December holiday.

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“We hope this will allow more opportunities for celebration, reflection, and education,” Emory Healthcare CEO Joon Sup Lee wrote in an email to employees. “[D]iversity, equity, and inclusion at Emory Healthcare (EHC) is about creating an environment of true belonging for our patients and team members, while ensuring equitable outcomes for all.”

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Not everyone is happy about the new schedule. Hospital employees told Atlanta News First that the change would pit Christian and African American holidays against each other—and Edwina Clanton, the president of the NAACP chapter in Emory’s county, warned of anti-black backlash.

“I’m sure it will put anger in some hearts,” she said. “Why do we have to do this?”

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