Federal employees receive 11 paid holidays in 2027. A full-time employee who is excused from work is paid for the day at the basic rate; one who has to work during holiday hours earns holiday premium pay, which doubles the hourly rate, with a minimum of two hours of premium. The rules below summarize OPM’s guidance on holidays, work schedules and pay.
Paid holiday dates for a Monday-to-Friday schedule, 2027
| Holiday | 2027 date | Day | Federal day off (observed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1 | Friday | Same day |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 18 | Monday | Same day |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) | February 15 | Monday | Same day |
| Memorial Day | May 31 | Monday | Same day |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Saturday | Friday, June 18 |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Sunday | Monday, July 5 |
| Labor Day | September 6 | Monday | Same day |
| Columbus Day | October 11 | Monday | Same day |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Thursday | Same day |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 25 | Thursday | Same day |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Saturday | Friday, December 24 |
| New Year’s Day 2028 | January 1, 2028 | Saturday | Friday, December 31, 2027 |
Pay when you do not work the holiday
| Schedule | Holiday hours paid |
|---|---|
| Full-time, standard (5 days × 8 hours) | 8 hours |
| Full-time, flexible schedule | 8 hours, even if more were planned that day |
| Full-time, compressed schedule (for example 4 × 10 or 5-4/9) | All hours scheduled for that day (9 or 10) |
| Part-time | Hours regularly scheduled on that day, when the holiday falls on a scheduled workday |
| Intermittent | None |
To be paid for a holiday, an employee must be in a pay status or paid time off status on the scheduled workday either before or after it. Someone in non-pay status on both sides of the holiday is not paid for it.
Holiday premium pay
An employee required to work during regularly scheduled, non-overtime hours on a holiday is paid basic pay plus premium pay at a rate equal to basic pay (5 U.S.C. 5546(b)). The premium is capped at 8 hours for standard and flexible schedules, and at the scheduled day’s length for compressed schedules. If any holiday work is performed, at least two hours of premium pay are due.
Hours worked beyond the basic schedule on a holiday are overtime, paid under the overtime rules, not at the holiday premium rate. Night pay is added on top of holiday premium pay for regularly scheduled night work, and Sunday premium pay can apply as well when the holiday is worked on a Sunday that is part of the basic workweek.
“In lieu of” holidays
When a holiday falls on a full-time employee’s non-workday, another day is designated as the holiday.
- Standard Monday–Friday week: Saturday holiday, the Friday before; Sunday holiday, the Monday after.
- Other workweeks: if the holiday falls on a non-workday other than Sunday, the workday immediately before. If it falls on a Sunday non-workday (or the day the agency has designated as the employee’s “Sunday”), the next workday.
- Flexible schedules: the same rules apply, and the agency may not pick a different day.
- Compressed schedules: the same rules apply by default, but an agency head may designate a different “in lieu of” day to prevent an adverse impact on the agency (5 U.S.C. 6103(d)).
- Part-time employees: not entitled to an “in lieu of” holiday. If the office is closed on a day that is an “in lieu of” holiday for full-time staff, the agency may grant paid excused absence.
Example for 2027: an employee on a 4 × 10 schedule with Mondays off does not work on Memorial Day, May 31. The “in lieu of” holiday is the preceding workday, Friday, May 28. An employee with Fridays off would take Thursday, June 17 for Juneteenth, since the holiday falls on Saturday and the preceding workday is Thursday.
Which shift is the holiday shift
For work that crosses midnight, the tour of duty that begins on the calendar holiday is the holiday tour, and its full length counts. A shift that starts the evening before and runs into the holiday is not. Where two tours overlap the holiday, only the one that begins on it qualifies.
Two holidays in one pay period
This comes up at the end of 2027, when the December 24 and December 31 observances can fall in the same biweekly period, depending on the agency’s pay calendar. A full-time employee on a flexible schedule is credited 8 hours for each holiday and must make up any difference against the 80-hour requirement with other work, leave or credit hours.
Who is not covered
Employees on intermittent schedules receive neither paid holiday time off nor holiday premium pay. Employees paid annual premium pay for standby duty, and firefighters compensated under 5 U.S.C. 5545b, are also outside the holiday premium rules. Postal Service employees are paid under USPS’s own agreements. Contractors are covered by their employer’s policy and any applicable Service Contract Act wage determination, not by title 5.
Legal basis
Holidays: 5 U.S.C. 6103 and Executive Order 11582. Premium pay: 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 5 CFR 550.131–550.132. Flexible and compressed schedules: 5 U.S.C. 6124 and 5 CFR 610.405–610.407. The list of dates is on federal holidays 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Is holiday pay for federal employees double time?
Working during basic holiday hours pays the normal rate plus an equal premium, so the total is twice basic pay for those hours.
Do part-time federal employees get paid holidays?
Yes, when the holiday falls on a day they are regularly scheduled to work, for the hours scheduled, up to 8 on standard or flexible schedules. They do not receive an “in lieu of” day.
Can I choose my own “in lieu of” day?
No. OPM guidance says the day is fixed by the rules and neither the agency nor the employee may select another, apart from the compressed-schedule exception.
Do federal employees get Inauguration Day pay in 2029?
Only employees in the Washington, DC area who are scheduled to work on Saturday, January 20, 2029. No “in lieu of” day is provided.
Is leave charged on a holiday?
No. A holiday that falls inside a period of annual or sick leave is not charged as leave.
Last checked: 12 November 2026 — dates verified against OPM