Most feds get New Year’s Eve off in 2021

Just like Christmas Day in 2021, the first day of 2022 falls on a Saturday, meaning that feds will instead get the day before the new year off work.

Traditionally, federal employees are given the first day of the year off work, but that day falls on a weekend for 2022, during which most feds already have the day off. When federal holidays fall on a Saturday, the Office of Personnel Management instead moves the holiday to Friday for pay and leave purposes. When federal holidays fall on a Sunday, OPM generally designates the following Monday off work.

“All full-time employees, including those on flexible or compressed work schedules, are entitled to an ‘in lieu of’ holiday when a holiday falls on the employee’s nonworkday,” the OPM fact sheet on federal holidays states.

“Part-time employees are not entitled to an ‘in lieu of’ holiday. If an agency’s office or facility is closed due to an ‘in lieu of’ holiday for full-time employees, the agency may grant paid excused absence to part-time employees who are otherwise scheduled to work on that day.”

Most feds therefore have the day off work Friday, and those employees that are needed to work that day are generally entitled to holiday premium pay.

“Holiday premium pay is equal to an employee’s rate of basic pay. Employees who are required to work on a holiday receive their rate of basic pay, plus holiday premium pay, for each hour of holiday work — i.e., double or 200 percent of their rate of basic pay,” the fact sheet states.

“Employees who are required to perform any work during basic (non-overtime) holiday hours are entitled to a minimum of 2 hours of holiday premium pay.”

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