Is Columbus Day a federal employee holiday?

Most federal employees will receive the day off Monday, Oct. 11 for the Columbus Day holiday, according to the Office of Personnel Management’s holiday schedule.

Columbus Day is designated by the U.S. government as one of 12 federal holidays — along with New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Inauguration Day, George Washington’s birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day — meaning nonessential employees get the day off and most essential employees that are required to work that day receive holiday premium pay.

Though the White House has not yet released any statements about the holiday this year, President Joe Biden last year celebrated Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which commemorates the cultures and histories of the native peoples of the U.S.

So far, 13 states and many cities have formally designated the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day or Native American Day.

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