This year, Christmas is on a Wednesday. Christmas Eve, of course, is on Tuesday. As often happens during this time of year, readers ask: “Will federal employees get an extra holiday on Christmas Eve?”
Rather than responding to individual requests for the information, FedSmith writes an article on the subject about this time every year. While Thanksgiving has not yet arrived, it is later than usual this year, so we moved our schedule up to address this topic in the minds of many readers.
We don’t know what President Biden will do this year. The precedent for an additional holiday has not been good for federal workers who would like the extra day off this year without having to dip into their leave account.
A Christmas Eve Holiday and Presidential Discretion
Whether an extra day off is granted is up to the president.
President Biden has not been generous with giving federal employees an extra day off. He did not award any extra time off around the Christmas holiday so far during his administration. During his administration, Christmas Day has fallen on Friday (2020), Saturday (2021) and Sunday (2022).
In addition, historically, Wednesday is not the best day for Christmas to occur for a president to decide to provide federal employees an extra day off from work.
When Christmas is on a Wednesday, federal workers are generally expected to report to work the rest of the week or to use annual leave.
However, in 2019, President Trump issued an order giving employees 8 hours off on Tuesday, the day before Christmas. In 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order on December 18th giving federal employees an additional day off on Christmas Eve, a Thursday. In fact, he also gave federal employees a day off on Christmas Eve in 2018 (a Monday) and 2019.
Christmas Eve Holiday When Christmas Eve Was on a Tuesday
Here are the times that presidents have given federal employees extra time off for Christmas Eve when Christmas Eve was on a Tuesday.
- President George W. Bush provided a half-day holiday on Tuesday, December 24, 2002.
- President Eisenhower gave employees an extra four hours off when Christmas Eve was on a Tuesday.
- President Truman gave employees an extra four hours off on Christmas Eve, a Tuesday in 1946.
- President Roosevelt gave employees time off (8 hours) on Tuesday in 1940.
So, federal employees received a half-day off on December 24 in 1946, 1957, and 2002 when Christmas was on a Wednesday. But, they had to work their regular schedules — both on December 24 and December 26 — when Christmas fell on a Wednesday in 1963, 1968, 1974, 1985, 1991, 1996, and 2013.
Perhaps because our culture or work ethic has changed, more leeway has been taken when giving federal employees an extra day off now than was the case in previous decades.
Will President Biden decide to issue an Order providing an extra day (or half-day) to federal employees on Tuesday, December 24, 2024?
If and when it happens, we will quickly post an announcement and send out a Tweet to all federal employees who subscribe to FedSmith on X @FedSmith.
