BRITANNICA GREAT BOOKS OF THE WESTERN WORLD EBAY |
How to open google my business account |
Panic at the disco vices and virtues |
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays (federal or otherwise). These benefits are generally a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee's representative).
On a government contract to which the labor standards of the McNamara O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) apply, us public holidays 2020 and/or vacation fringe benefit requirements are stated in the SCA wage determinations in contracts that exceed $2,500.
On a government contract to which the labor standards of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts apply, holiday pay and/or vacation pay is required for specific classifications of workers only if the Davis-Bacon wage determination in the covered contract specifies such requirements for workers employed in those classifications.
"How are Vacation Pay, Sick Pay, Holiday Pay Computed?"
Information from the elaws FLSA Advisor.
29 CFR Part 4.174 - Regulations on Meeting Requirements for Holiday Fringe Benefits for Federal Contracts
2020 might have been a how to write capital letter f in cursive year for many of us, but there is one small ray of light in 2021—one extra federal holiday!
A federal holiday is a date recognized by the federal government as a holiday. On these days, non-essential federal government offices close and stock market trading is usually suspended. Federal government employees are usually paid for the holiday, though this can be affected by government shutdowns as furloughed workers do not receive pay on holidays.
Federal holidays were first created by Congress in 1870 for federal employees in Washington D.C. and were expanded to cover all federal employees 15 years later in valley high school west des moines address four original holidays established were New Year's Day on January 1, Independence Day on July 4, Christmas Day on December 25 and Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November.
George Washington's Birthday, now commonly known as Presidents' Day, was made a federal holiday in 1879 but is oddly never held on his actual birthday. The father of the nation and first president was born on February 22, 1732. The federal holiday was moved from this fixed date in 1968 to become a floating holiday like Thanksgiving and observed on the third Monday in February. This will always fall between February 15-21, meaning it can never actually be held on the date of Washington's birth.
Memorial Day, a day commemorating the nation's war dead, became a holiday in 1888. Originally known as Decoration Day, this is also a floating holiday that is observed on the last Monday in May.
Labor Day was made a federal holiday in 1894 to honor American workers. The holiday is held on the first Monday in September.
Veterans Day, honoring all veterans of the U.S. armed forces, was first established as Armistice Day in 1938. It is always held on November 11 as it was on that date 20 years earlier that World War 1 had officially ended and an armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany.
Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in 1968 to honor the Italian explorer whose expeditions were the first European contact with much of the Americas. The floating holiday is observed on the second Monday in October.
The most recent federal holiday to be created was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Honoring the birthday of the civil rights leader, this holiday is similar to Washington's Birthday in that it is not actually held on the date the Baptist minister was born. MLK was born on January 15, 1929, but the floating holiday is instead held on the third Monday of January.
There are 10 federal holidays every year, but in 2021 a federal holiday will be celebrated twice on two separate days. The reason—2021 is a rather unusual year in that many of the annual U.S. federal holiday dates fall on weekends, and thus the actual federal holiday has been shifted.
For example, July 4 falls on a Sunday in 2021 and so the Independence Day federal holiday will instead be on the following day, Monday July 5.
In the case of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, because they both fall on a Saturday, the federal holidays will instead be moved back one day to the preceding Friday. That means the Christmas Day federal holiday will in fact be on Christmas Eve and the New Year's Day federal holiday, which should have been north and central america map quiz the first day of 2022, has been moved to the last day of 2021. This is why 2021 will have 11 federal holidays rather than the usual 10.
In addition, some federal employees will receive a 12th federal holiday in 2021, as Inauguration Day is also a federal holiday for those in the "Inauguration Day area." On January 20, when Joe Biden is due to be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, it will also be a holiday for federal employees who work in the Us public holidays 2020 of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Victorias secret credit card login is the list of U.S. Federal Holidays in 2021.
Friday, January 1 | New Year's Day |
Monday, January 18 | Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. |
Wednesday, January 20 | Inauguration Day (for federal employees in the inauguration area) |
Monday, February 15 | Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) |
Monday, May 31 | Memorial Day |
Monday, July 5 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 6 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 11 | Columbus Day |
Thursday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 25 | Thanksgiving Day |
Friday, December 24 | Christmas Day |
Friday, December 31 | New Year's Day |
A number of days have been proposed as federal holidays over the years, though none have been successful. Some of the most notable candidates are:
A holiday honoring the emancipation of enslaved peoples in America on June 19, 1865, the date is us public holidays 2020 by millions across the U.S. every year.
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests over the police killing of George Floyd, there were renewed calls in some quarters for Juneteenth to be made a federal holiday. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) filed a bill to make it happen in June, but it was blocked by fellow GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin who said "I object to the.bill that hardworking taxpayers would have to foot in an era where we are $26.5 trillion in debt."
Observed in some states such as California, there have been numerous petitions to have a national day honoring indigenous peoples to be held on a floating day in September, but no bills introduced to Congress have been successful.
There have been numerous attempts to Election Day, always on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, to be made into a federal holiday in order to boost voter turnout when elections are held. The date is already a public holiday in some states including Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. A bill to make the date a legal public holiday on every even-numbered year was reintroduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2018, but was not enacted.
"We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News at the time.
Learn about living in the United States of America.
Many government offices close on federal holidays and some private businesses may close as well. If the holiday falls during the weekend, the government may observe it on a different day. Federal employees receive pay and many receive time off for federal holidays.
New Year's Day (January 1)
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January)
Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February)
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)*
Juneteenth (June 19)
Independence Day (July 4)
Labor Day (First Monday in September)
Columbus Day american state bank online Monday in October)
Veterans Day (November 11)*
Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
Christmas Day (December 25)
*Some people get Memorial Day and Veterans Day confused. On Memorial Day, America honors those who died while serving in the military. On Veterans Day, the country celebrates everyone who has served in the military.
Some holidays honor specific groups and events, such as Valentine’s Day, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Flag Day, and Halloween. These are not federal holidays. Some holidays and observances receive presidential proclamations.
Various ethnic and religious groups in the United States celebrate days with special meaning to them. Some of these holidays include Easter for Christians, the High Holy Days for Jews, Ramadan for Muslims, Day of Vesak for Buddhists, and Diwali for Hindus.
The United States issues paper currency and coins to pay for purchases, taxes, and debts.
American paper currency come in seven denominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. The United States no longer issues bills in larger denominations, such as $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills. But they are still legal tender and may still be in circulation. All U.S. currency issued since 1861 is valid and redeemable at its full face value.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) manufactures paper money. It also redesigns money, with new appearances and enhanced security features. BEP includes security features to prevent counterfeiting. Purchase commemorative or bulk versions of American currency through the Bureau's Money Store.
The United States issues several denominations, with the most common being: 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1. The U.S. Mint manufactures and circulates coins to pay for goods and services. It also issues collectible and commemorative coins for sale. These coins honor a person, place, or event.
If you have paper money that is extremely damaged, you can redeem it with the BEP. Examples of damaged paper money include:
Redeem bent or partial coins through the Mutilated Coin Redemption Program.
There is no "official" language at the federal level for the United States. Although the most commonly used language is English, more than 300 languages are spoken or signed by the population. Some individual states list English as their official language. If you would like the United States or your state to adopt an official language, you should contact your elected officials.
The federal government is required to provide access to federal programs and federally assisted programs for people with limited English proficiency.
The Library of Congress provides historical information and fun facts about each state in the United States, including when it became a state, its nickname, and its capital.
If you need information on state programs and services, browse your state government website.
Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They'll get you the answer or let you know where to find it.
Last Updated: January 12, 2022
Holidays legally established by the USA
This article is about federal government holidays. For other uses, see Federal holidays in the United States (disambiguation).
There are currently eleven national public holidays in the United States designated in Title V of the United States Code (5 U.S.C. § 6103).[1] These federal holidays apply to all federal government entities. State and city holidays may be observed concurrently with federal holidays.
On June 28, 1870, Congress created federal holidays "to correspond with similar laws of States around the District . and . in every State of the Union."[2] Although at first applicable only to federal employees in the District of Columbia, Congress extended coverage in 1885 to all federal employees.
The original four holidays were:
George Washington's Birthday became a federal holiday in 1879. In 1888 and 1894, respectively, Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) and Labor Day were created. In 1938, Armistice Day (now Veterans Day) was created to mark the end of World War I. The scope and the name of the holiday was expanded in 1954 to honor Americans who fought in World War II and the Korean War.
In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted several holidays to always fall on a Monday and saw the establishment of Columbus Day.
In 1983, Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law, and it was first observed three years later, although some states resisted. It was finally celebrated by all 50 states in 2000. Senators Jesse Helms of North Carolina and John McCain of Arizona opposed the creation of the federal holiday for the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. when it was approved in the Senate 78-22 in 1983.[3]
On June 16, 2021, the U.S. Congress passed legislation to make Juneteenth (June 19) a federal holiday. The day commemorates the end of slavery in Texas in 1865. PresidentJoe Biden signed this bill into law on June 17, 2021.[4][5][6][7]
Most of the 11[8] U.S. federal holidays are also state holidays. A holiday that falls on one west bank arcadia weekend is usually observed on the closest weekday (e.g. a holiday falling on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday, while a holiday falling on a Sunday is observed on the succeeding Monday).[9] The official names come from the statute that defines holidays for federal employees.
Date | Official Name[1] | First instituted[10][11] | Details |
---|---|---|---|
January 1 (Fixed) | New Year's Day | June 28, 1870 | Celebrates beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. Festivities include counting down to 12:00 midnight on the preceding night, New Year's Eve, often with fireworks display and party. The ball drop at Times Square in New York City has become a national New Year's festivity. Traditional end of Christmas and holiday season.[12] |
January 15–21 (Floating Monday) | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | August 2, 1983 | Honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, who was actually born on January 15, 1929; combined with other holidays in several states. Some cities and municipalities hold parades; and more recently, the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act, which was passed to encourage Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of citizen action volunteer service, has gained in popularity (sometimes referred to as a National Day of Service or American Civil Rights Day). The holiday is observed on the third Monday of January. |
February 15–21 (Floating Monday) | Washington's Birthday | January 1879 (as fixed date) January 1, 1971 (as floating date) | Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday by an 1879 act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act, 1968, shifted the date of the commemoration of Washington's Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February (between February 15 and 21, meaning the observed holiday never falls on Washington's actual birthday). Because of this, combined with the fact that President Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many people now refer to this holiday as "Presidents' Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents' Day.[1] |
May 25–31 (Floating Monday) | Memorial Day | August 1, 1888 (as fixed date) January 1, 1971 (as floating date) | Honors the nation's war dead from the Civil War onwards; marks the unofficial beginning of the summer season. (traditionally May 30, shifted by the Uniform Holidays Act 1968). The holiday is observed on the last Monday in May. |
June 19 (Fixed) | Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 17, 2021 | Commemorates the us public holidays 2020 of the date on which emancipation was announced in Texas. |
July 4 (Fixed) | Independence Day | June 28, 1870 | Celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from British rule, also called the Fourth of July. Fireworks celebrations are held in many cities throughout the nation. On the day before this transfer money with account and routing number, the stock market trading session ends three hours early. |
September 1–7 (Floating Monday) | Labor Day | June 28, 1894 | Honors and recognizes the American labor movement. 52% of Americans celebrate Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer,[13] although roughly 40% of employers require some employees to work on the holiday.[14] The holiday is observed on the first Monday in September. |
October 8–14 (Floating Monday) | Columbus Day | June 28, 1968 | Columbus Day honors Christopher Columbus, whose exploration of the Americas in the years 1492 to 1504 marked the beginning of the European exploration and colonization of the Americas. The holiday is observed on the second Monday in October, and is one of two federal holidays where holliday grainger height market trading is permitted. In some areas it is instead a celebration of Chinese food delivery in my area Peoples, or Italian culture and heritage; traditionally October 12. |
November 11 (Fixed) | Veterans Day | May 13, 1938[a] | Honors all veterans of the United States armed forces. It is observed on November 11 to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 (major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect); it is one of two federal holidays where stock market trading is permitted. |
November 22–28 (Floating Thursday) | Thanksgiving Day | June 28, 1870 | Traditionally celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest. Traditionally includes the sharing of a turkey dinner. The holiday is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. On the day after this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early. |
December 25 (Fixed) | Christmas Day | June 28, 1870 | The most widely celebrated holiday of the Christian year, Christmas is observed as a commemoration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Commonly celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike with various traditions. On the day us public holidays 2020 this holiday, the stock market trading session ends three hours early. |
New Year's Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Christmas Day are observed on the same us public holidays 2020 date each year, irrespective of the day of the week. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal employees who work Monday to Friday observe the holiday on the previous Friday. Federal employees who work on Saturday observe the holiday on Saturday and, for them, Friday is a regular work day. Holidays that fall on a Sunday are observed by tiny homes for sale in nc workers the following Monday. The other holidays always fall on a specific day of the week.[9]
Inauguration Day, held on January 20 every four years following a quadrennial presidential election, is considered a paid holiday for federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area by the Office of Personnel Management. However, it is not considered a federal holiday in the United States equivalent to the eleven holidays mentioned above.[16]
Although many states recognize most or all federal holidays as state holidays, the federal government cannot enact laws to compel them to do so. Furthermore, states can recognize other days as state holidays that are not federal holidays. For example, the State of Texas recognizes all federal holidays except Columbus Day, and in addition recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas as state holidays.[17] Furthermore, Texas does not follow the federal rule of closing either the Friday before if a holiday falls on a Saturday, or the Monday after if a holiday falls on a Sunday (offices are open on those Fridays or Mondays), but does have "partial staffing holidays" (such as March 2, which is Texas Independence Day) and "optional holidays" (such as Good Friday).[17]
Private employers also are not required to observe federal or state holidays, although banks will generally treat holidays as non-working days for the purpose of transactions, as they are impacted by the holiday observations of the Federal Reserve Bank (which may differ from the federal agencies observations). Some private employers, often by a union contract, pay a differential such as time-and-a-half or double-time to employees who work on some federal holidays. However, employees not specifically covered by a union contract might only receive their standard pay for working on a federal holiday, depending on the company policy.
Main article: List of observances in the United States by presidential proclamation
Federal law also provides for the declaration of other public holidays by the President of the United States. Generally the president will provide a reasoning behind the elevation of the day, and call on the people of the United States to observe the day "with appropriate ceremonies and activities." Examples of presidentially declared holidays were the days of the funerals for former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Gerald Ford; federal government offices were closed and employees given a paid holiday.
Many proposed federal holidays have come up over time. According to an article from CBS, federal holidays are generally "expensive" and they only allow federal workers to take the day off. As the U.S. federal government is a large employer, the holidays are expensive. If a holiday is controversial, opposition will generally prevent bills enacting them from passing. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marking King's birthday, took a lot of effort to pass.[18] And once it did pass, it took more effort for all states to eventually recognize it. It was not until 2000 that this holiday was officially observed in all 50 states.[19]
The following list is an example of holidays that have been proposed and have reasons why they are lock box amazon observed at the federal level today. Some of these holidays are observed at the state level.
Protests by the Native American community support the abolition of Columbus Day, mainly due to its ideology in forcefully conquering and converting whole populations with another and encouraging imperialism and colonization.[29] Glenn Morris of The Denver Post wrote that Columbus Day ". is not merely a celebration of Columbus the man; it is the celebration of a racist legal and political legacy—embedded in official legal and political pronouncements of the U.S.—such as the doctrine of discovery and manifest destiny."[30]Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa,[31]Louisiana,[32]Maine, Minnesota,[33]New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina,[34]Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin do not recognize Columbus Day, though other states such as Hawaii and South Dakota mark the day with an alternative holiday or observance. South Dakota is the only state to recognize Native American Day as an alternate. Hawaii recognizes Discoverer's Day. Other states such as Maine, Nevada, Washington and Wisconsin instead recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day as an alternative holiday.
Christmas Day as a federal or public holiday is also sometimes objected to by various sources,[35][36][37] usually due to its ties with the Christian religion. In December 1999, the Western Us public holidays 2020 of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, in the case Ganulin v. United States, denied the charge that Christmas Day's federal status violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, ruling that "the Christmas holiday has become largely secularized", and that "by giving federal employees a paid vacation day on Christmas, the government is doing no more than recognizing the cultural significance of the holiday".[38][39]
If the legal holidays of January 1, July 4 or December 25 fall on a Sunday, University offices are closed on the following day (Monday) and the holiday is observed on that Monday.
If any of the us public holidays 2020 legal holidays fall on a regularly scheduled day off (such as Saturday or Sunday) employees are granted floating holiday time.
Current ·Historical
The State of Wisconsin grants nine days of paid legal holidays per calendar year to eligible employees.
2021 Legal Holidays | When Observed |
---|---|
New Year's Day, January 1 | Friday, January 1 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Third Monday in January | Monday, January 18 |
Memorial Day, Last Monday in May | Monday, May 31 |
Independence Day, July 4 | Monday, July 5 (Observed) |
Labor Day, First Monday in September | Monday, September 6 |
Thanksgiving, Fourth Thursday in November | Thursday, November 25 |
Christmas Eve, Verizon wireless employee account phone number 24 | Friday, December 24 |
Christmas, December 25 | Saturday, December 25 (Floating Holiday) |
New Year's Eve, December 31 | Friday, December 31 |
2022 Legal Holidays | When Observed |
---|---|
New Year's Day, January 1 | Saturday, January 1 (Floating Holiday) |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Third Monday in January | Monday, January 17 |
Memorial Day, Last Monday in May | Monday, May 30 |
Independence Day, July 4 | Monday, July 4 |
Labor Day, First Monday in September | Monday, September 5 |
Thanksgiving, Fourth Thursday in November | Thursday, November 24 |
Christmas Eve, December 24 | Saturday, December 24 (Floating Holiday) |
Christmas, December 25 | Monday, December 26 (Observed) |
New Year's Eve, December 31 | Saturday, December 31 (Floating Holiday) |
Floating holiday time can be used any time during the calendar year in which it is earned. January 1 floating holiday cannot be used until the year it is earned. Legal and floating holiday hours should be used in the calendar year in which they are granted. There are no provisions that allow University Walmart money card balance espanol employees to carryover floating holiday time into the next calendar year. Thus, individuals should use their floating holiday time before using vacation time.
Floating holiday time can be used any time during the fiscal year in which it is earned. This means that a 'January 1' is coffee good for you when pregnant holiday can be used anytime in the fiscal year it is earned. Unused floating holiday time is lost after June 30. Thus, individuals should use their floating holiday time before using vacation time.
If the legal holidays of January 1, July 4 or December 25 fall on a Sunday, University offices are closed on the following day (Monday) and the holiday is observed on that Monday.
If any of the other legal holidays fall on a regularly scheduled day off (such as Saturday or Sunday) employees are granted floating holiday time.
Current ·Historical
The State of Wisconsin grants nine days of paid legal holidays per calendar year to eligible employees.
2021 Legal Holidays | When Observed |
---|---|
New Year's Day, January 1 | Friday, January 1 |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Third Monday in January | Monday, January 18 |
Memorial Day, Last Monday in May | Monday, May 31 |
Independence Day, July 4 | Monday, July 5 (Observed) |
Labor Day, First Monday in September | Monday, September 6 |
Thanksgiving, Fourth Thursday in November | Thursday, November 25 |
Christmas Eve, December 24 | Friday, December 24 |
Christmas, December 25 | Saturday, December 25 (Floating Holiday) |
New Year's Eve, December 31 | Friday, December 31 |
2022 Legal Holidays | When Observed |
---|---|
New Year's Day, January 1 | Saturday, January 1 (Floating Holiday) |
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Third Monday in January | Monday, January 17 |
Memorial Day, Last Monday in May | Monday, May 30 |
Independence Day, July 4 | Monday, July 4 |
Labor Day, First Monday in September | Monday, September 5 |
Thanksgiving, Fourth Thursday in November | Thursday, November 24 |
Christmas Eve, December 24 | Saturday, December 24 (Floating Holiday) |
Christmas, December 25 | Monday, December 26 (Observed) |
New Year's Eve, December 31 | Saturday, December 31 (Floating Holiday) |
Floating holiday time can be used any time during the calendar year in which it is earned. January 1 floating holiday cannot be used until the year it is earned. Legal and floating holiday hours should be used in the calendar year in which they are granted. There are no provisions that allow University Staff employees to carryover floating holiday time into the next calendar year. Thus, individuals should use their floating holiday time before using vacation time.
Floating holiday time can be used any time during the fiscal year in which it is earned. This means that a 'January 1' floating holiday can be used anytime in the fiscal year it is earned. Unused floating holiday time is lost after June 30. Thus, individuals should use their floating holiday time before using vacation time.
2020 might have been a miserable year for many of us, but there is one small ray of light in 2021—one extra federal holiday!
A federal holiday is a date recognized by the federal government as a holiday. On these days, non-essential federal government offices close and stock market trading is usually suspended. Federal government employees are usually paid for the holiday, though this can be affected by government shutdowns as furloughed workers do not receive pay on holidays.
Federal holidays were first created by Congress in 1870 for federal employees in Washington D.C. and were expanded to cover all federal employees 15 years later in 1885.
The four original holidays established were New Year's Day on January 1, Independence Day on July 4, Christmas Day on December 25 and Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November.
George Washington's Birthday, now commonly known as Presidents' Day, was made a federal holiday in 1879 but is oddly never held on his actual birthday. The father of the nation and first president was born on February 22, 1732. The federal holiday was moved from this fixed date in 1968 to become a floating holiday like Thanksgiving and observed on the third Monday in February. This will always fall between February 15-21, meaning it can never actually be held on the date of Washington's birth.
Memorial Day, a day commemorating the nation's war dead, became a holiday in 1888. Originally known as Decoration Day, this is also a floating holiday that is observed on the last Monday in May.
Labor Day was made a federal holiday in 1894 to honor American workers. The holiday is held on the first Monday in September.
Veterans Day, honoring all veterans of the U.S. armed forces, was first established as Armistice Day in 1938. It is always held on November 11 as it was on that date 20 years earlier that World War 1 had officially ended and an armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany.
Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in 1968 to honor the Italian explorer whose expeditions were the first European contact with much of the Americas. The floating holiday is observed on the second Monday in October.
The most recent federal holiday to be created was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. Honoring the birthday of the civil rights leader, this holiday is similar to Washington's Birthday in that it is not actually held on the date the Baptist minister was born. MLK was born on January 15, 1929, but the floating holiday is instead held on the third Monday of January.
There are 10 federal holidays every year, but in 2021 a federal holiday will be celebrated twice on two separate days. The reason—2021 is a rather unusual year in that many of the annual U.S. federal holiday dates fall on weekends, and thus the actual federal holiday has been shifted.
For example, July 4 falls on a Sunday in 2021 and so the Independence Day federal holiday will instead be on the following day, Monday July 5.
In the case of Christmas Day and New Year's Day, because they both fall on a Saturday, the federal holidays will instead be moved back one day to the preceding Friday. That means the Christmas Day federal holiday will in fact be on Christmas Eve and the New Year's Day federal holiday, which should have been on the first day of 2022, has been moved to the last day of 2021. This is why 2021 will have 11 federal holidays rather than the usual 10.
In addition, some federal employees will receive a 12th federal holiday in 2021, as Inauguration Day is also a federal holiday for those in the "Inauguration Day area." On January 20, when Joe Biden is due to be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, it will also be a holiday for federal employees who work in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.
Below is the list of U.S. Federal Holidays in 2021.
Friday, January 1 | New Year's Day |
Monday, January 18 | Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. |
Wednesday, January 20 | Inauguration Day (for federal employees in the inauguration area) |
Monday, February 15 | Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) |
Monday, May 31 | Memorial Day |
Monday, July 5 | Independence Day |
Monday, September 6 | Labor Day |
Monday, October 11 | Columbus Day |
Thursday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
Thursday, November 25 | Thanksgiving Day |
Friday, December 24 | Christmas Day |
Friday, December 31 | New Year's Day |
A number of days have been proposed as federal holidays over the years, though none have been successful. Some of the most notable candidates are:
A holiday honoring the emancipation of enslaved peoples in America on June 19, 1865, the date is celebrated by millions across the U.S. every year.
In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests over the police killing of George Floyd, there were renewed calls in some quarters for Juneteenth to be made a federal holiday. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) filed a bill to make it happen in June, but it was blocked by fellow GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin who said "I object to the...bill that hardworking taxpayers would have to foot in an era where we are $26.5 trillion in debt."
Observed in some states such as California, there have been numerous petitions to have a national day honoring indigenous peoples to be held on a floating day in September, but no bills introduced to Congress have been successful.
There have been numerous attempts to Election Day, always on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, to be made into a federal holiday in order to boost voter turnout when elections are held. The date is already a public holiday in some states including Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. A bill to make the date a legal public holiday on every even-numbered year was reintroduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2018, but was not enacted.
"We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News at the time.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays (federal or otherwise). These benefits are generally a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee's representative).
On a government contract to which the labor standards of the McNamara O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) apply, holiday and/or vacation fringe benefit requirements are stated in the SCA wage determinations in contracts that exceed $2,500.
On a government contract to which the labor standards of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts apply, holiday pay and/or vacation pay is required for specific classifications of workers only if the Davis-Bacon wage determination in the covered contract specifies such requirements for workers employed in those classifications.
"How are Vacation Pay, Sick Pay, Holiday Pay Computed?"
Information from the elaws FLSA Advisor.
29 CFR Part 4.174 - Regulations on Meeting Requirements for Holiday Fringe Benefits for Federal Contracts