# US Dopers: What Holidays do you get off as a Paid Holiday? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188 "2012-01-30T14:42:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/1 "2012-01-30T14:42:33Z")
I’m suddenly interested in what everyone gets off as a paid holiday. So I’m asking, what the US dopers get as paid time off? I’m including just about any likely candidate including all the official federal and state holidays that I am aware of. But I am excluding any that always fall on a weekend (Easter etc). As always feel free to use the “Other” option for any obvious mistakes I’ve made. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/2 "2012-01-30T14:48:58Z")
We also get two additional days which are officially determined by the company but are always around Christmas. Depending on the day of the week that Christmas and New Year’s Day fall, we might get the day before both or the Monday and Friday of the week in between, or something like that. Total of nine per year, not counting Personal, Vacation or Sick days. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/3 "2012-01-30T15:14:55Z")
You should have included New Year’s Day. I also get the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/4 "2012-01-30T15:31:33Z")
I checked President’s Day, but actually it’s Washington’s and Lincoln’s Days (2). We are also getting 12 days/yr of unpaid furloughs, cunningly clustered around holidays to give us 4 day weekends and weeks off around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Oh, and we get a float day if we take it within 90 days after our birthday. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/5 "2012-01-30T15:31:38Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > You should have included New Year’s Day. It’s at the start of the list. I work in a medical center that has includes a hospital and clinic. Since the hospital has to be staffed 24/7 but the clinic runs on closer to 8-4 M-F hours, your holidays vary depending on your job here. So we don’t really get “automatic” holidays; it depends on your department’s policy and your position. However, anyone who works in the clinic building, admin offices, or med school pretty much gets the same holidays: NY Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day following, and Christmas Day. Those buildings all close down. For any of those holidays which end up on a weekend that year, you get either the adjoining Friday or Monday. To make it more fair, everyone gets Paid Time Off which includes holiday hours, vacation, personal time, and sick time, and therefore the office workers don’t end up getting more days off than the ER staff, for instance, just because one building is closed Christmas Day and the other isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/6 "2012-01-30T15:31:54Z")
My company follows the [federal holiday schedule](http://www.opm.gov/operating_status_schedules/fedhol/2012.asp). ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/7 "2012-01-30T15:36:51Z")
We got Memorial/Independence/Labor days, plus Thanksgiving/BlackFriday, Christmas/Eve, New Year/Eve. Nine days. No floating days off. No Veterans or President’s days. No Easter stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/8 "2012-01-30T15:39:31Z")
We get seven standard holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas Day) plus we get five “Personal Choice” holidays for a total of 12. The PC holidays are really more like extra vacation days, but they account for them as holidays. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/9 "2012-01-30T15:46:04Z")
Where is the “None” option? I am self-employed. I don’t get any paid holidays. No paid vacations, either. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/10 "2012-01-30T15:47:08Z")
I work for a Catholic university, so I also get Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Feast of the Assumption off. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/11 "2012-01-30T15:51:52Z")
According to my 2012 Administrative Holidays flyer I have pinned on my desk, I get: New Year’s Day MLK, Jr Day President’s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Friday after Thanksgiving Christmas Eve\* Christmas Day New Year’s Eve\* New Year’s Day 2013 - Technically, we get 1.5 days each for Christmas and New Year’s, and the staff votes on where to put a floating “day.” We have always voted to split it into two half days to get two full days each for Christmas and New Year’s. Additionally, it might not always be Christmas/New Year’s eve, since the holiday might be on the weekend. In that case, the two days off will be the Friday and Monday. Although the past few years, we have been given an extra three days between the two, so we basically get almost an entire week and a half off for Christmas and New Years, since the current president just said he plans to make those official holidays now. Edit: We are also allowed to take Town Meeting day as a paid “holiday,” but we have to actually _go_ to the town meeting, and somehow show proof of that to our supervisor…since town meeting sounds worse than a day of work, I’ve never bothered to look into the details. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/12 "2012-01-30T15:52:34Z")
None. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/13 "2012-01-30T16:10:19Z")
I was a Federal employee for 37 years, so I got all 10 of those days off. Occasionally, the President would give us half a day for Christmas Eve - I’m guessing that always happened in election years. 😃 My husband works for a contractor and they get 10 “floating holidays” that they can use on the Federal holidays or whenever. Before that, he got the 6 biggies - New Year’s Day, Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/14 "2012-01-30T16:18:36Z")
Public school teacher, so add in Spring Break, Summer Break, Thanksgiving Week, Christmas Break, and a few prep days. I am on campus 175 days a year. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/15 "2012-01-30T16:24:06Z")
I get paid for New Years Day, MLK, Presidents, Memorial, July 4, Labor, Thanksgiving, Christmas, plus 2 flex holidays. I work for a brokerage firm. However, since we’re staffed 24 hours a day/7 days a week, there’s no guarantee I’ll actually get all the holidays as a day off. I volunteered to work New Years Day this year since it fell on Jan 2 and I wanted to reduce the chance I’d be forced to work a holiday. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/16 "2012-01-30T16:42:52Z")
I get holiday pay for about half, but we only take time off when work is slow. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/17 "2012-01-30T16:47:28Z")
A few years ago my company dropped President’s Day and the day after Thanksgiving and gave us two “floating” holidays that we can essentially use any time. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/18 "2012-01-30T16:49:39Z")
None ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/19 "2012-01-30T17:38:31Z")
This year I get: January 2, 2012 New Year’s Day Monday January 16, 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday Monday February 20, 2012 President’s Day Monday April 6, 2012 Good Friday Friday May 28, 2012 Memorial Day Monday July 4, 2012 Independence Day Wednesday September 3, 2012 Labor Day Monday October 8, 2012 Columbus Day Monday November 12, 2012 Veteran’s Day (Observed) Monday November 22, 2012 Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 23, 201 Day After Thanksgiving Friday December 21, 2012 ½ Day – Christmas Eve Friday December 24, 2012 Day Before Christmas Monday December 25, 2012 Christmas Day Tuesday December 28, 2012 1/2 Day – New Year’s Eve Friday December 31, 2012 Day Before New Year’s Monday Plus, while the Christmas/New Years Days are counted as individual holidays, we actually get that whole week off paid. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188/20 "2012-01-30T17:49:39Z")
I get no paid holidays, although if one falls on my normal work day I get a “bonus” of a percentage of my earnings. (I think it’s 25%, but I wouldn’t swear to it.) This isn’t really a problem since the only holiday I observe is Thanksgiving, and I don’t work on Thursdays. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-what-holidays-do-you-get-off-as-a-paid-holiday/611188.md?page=2)