(WXYZ) — Quicken Loans team members who wish to commemorate Juneteenth, which marks the ending of slavery in the United States, have the option to take it as a paid day off.
The decision comes amid the ongoing protests initiated by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis back in May.
According to Quicken Loans CEO Jay Farner, "#JuneteenthDay will be a paid holiday for team members who choose to commemorate this day. We are encouraging those team members to use it to have a voice, to contribute to the community, to celebrate their identity, or use it to learn more about addressing racial inequity."
Farner made the announcement via Twitter on Friday.
#JuneteenthDay will be a paid holiday for team members who choose to commemorate this day. We are encouraging those team members to use it to have a voice, to contribute to the community, to celebrate their identity, or use it to learn more about addressing racial inequity.
— Jay Farner (@JDFarner) June 12, 2020
Juneteenth has been celebrated on June 19 since 1865, the day Union soldiers told enslaved people in Galveston, Texas they were free.
