Even if you love your job, there’s nothing better than a long weekend. And while the 4-day workweek might be on the rise, the best way to get an extra day off is with a federal holiday.
Fortunately, in the US, employees are treated to eleven federal holidays that present an opportunity for a much-needed day off. Sure, businesses aren’t required to honor them, but many do, so you can enjoy that extra time off for the holidays.
In this guide, you’ll learn which days are federal holidays, as well as some of the specific rules about when you get time off and when you don’t.
What Is a Federal Holiday?
A federal holiday is a date on the calendar that has been established by the government to be an official holiday. Generally speaking, it means that non-essential national offices are closed on these days.
In the US, there are eleven federal holidays that can get you a day off work. However, the system is not nearly as rigid as in some countries, as companies are not required by law to provide days off.
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Subsequently, knowing which holidays you have off is going to take a bit more digging than simply checking out the list below. Still, it never hurts to be informed, especially if you’re trying to convince your company to adopt new federal holidays to take off.
A List of Federal Holidays in 2024
All right, now let’s get down the nitty gritty details, so you can start planning those vacations. Here is a list of all the US federal holidays in 2024:
- New Year’s Day – Monday, January 1st
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Monday, January 15th
- Presidents’ Day – Monday, February 19th
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 27th
- Juneteenth – Wednesday, June 19th
- Independence Day – Thursday, July 4th
- Labor Day – Monday, September 2nd
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day/Columbus Day – Monday, October 14th
- Veterans Day – Monday, November 11th
- Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 28
- Christmas – Wednesday, December 25
If you want to stay up to date on when federal holidays occur and keep your eye out for any new ones that might pop up, you can head on over to the US Office of Personnel Management website to get an in-depth look at federal holidays through 2030.
Is Juneteenth a Federal Holiday?
In 2021, Joe Biden signed a bill on June 17th to make Juneteenth an official federal holiday.
However, there are some states that do not recognize the holiday, nor do they typically give employees the day off as a result. Those states include:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Is Presidents’ Day a Federal Holiday?
As you can see from the list above, Presidents’ Day is indeed a federal holiday, signed into law in 1879 and made a nationwide holiday in 1885.
However, despite Presidents’ Day’s status as a federal holiday, it is rarely given as a day off for non-government employees. For whatever reason, Presidents’ Day is not viewed as important compared to other options on the list, with schools and businesses typically still requiring employees to work that Monday.
Want even more vacation? Some companies offer unlimited paid time off. Read our guide to find out who to work for if you want this perk.
