Workplace of Choice

As we enter the holiday season and begin to plan for next year, now is a good time to review your company’s policy on holiday time off and pay.  Federal employees are entitled to pay for holiday time off; however, for employees in the private sector, it’s not that straight forward.  According to FLSA law, private sector employers are not required to give time off or pay employees for holidays.   Although not required, most private sector employers do give their employees time off with pay as an employee benefit and to promote employee retention and morale.  Additionally, an employee may request time off for religious observance.  This time off can be granted either paid or unpaid and would be granted somewhat like an accommodation under the ADA in that there would be the assumption that the time off would not cause any undue hardship to the company.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, companies give an average of 7-8 paid days off annually for holidays.  These holidays typically include:

• New Year's Day
• Memorial Day
• Easter
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Many companies also give the following holidays:

• Washington's Birthday or President's Day
• Good Friday
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Veterans' Day
• Columbus Day
• the Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• New Year's Eve

Typically, companies will choose the holidays that make the most sense for their business and will also give one to two “floating” or “personal” holidays to allow employees to tailor the time off to meet their holiday needs.  Although not required, giving paid time off for holidays makes good business sense.