Expert's View

The rules on full-time work and holidays are pretty clear. What is clearly less clear is how holidays are treated for part-time workers, judging by the questions I get when holidays roll around.

If you are a part-time employee, you are entitled to a holiday when that holiday falls on a day when you would otherwise be required to work or take leave. If you are excused from work on a holiday, you’ll receive your rate of basic pay for the hours you are regularly scheduled to work on that day.

If you are on a standard 40-hour/5-day week work schedule, on a holiday you will generally be excused from duty for the number of basic (non-overtime) hours you are regularly scheduled to work on that day, not to exceed 8 hours.

If you are on a flexible work schedules, on a holiday you will generally be excused from duty for the number of hours of your basic work requirement, i.e., your non-overtime hours, on that day, not to exceed 8 hours. In the event the President issues an executive order granting a half-day holiday (as sometimes happens on Christmas Eve), you will generally be excused from duty for half the number of hours in your basic work requirement on that day, not to exceed 4 hours.

If you are on a compressed work schedule, you will generally be excused from all of the hours of your compressed work schedules, i.e., your basic work requirement, on that day. In the event the President issues an executive order granting a half-day holiday, you will generally be excused from half of the hours of your compressed work schedule on that day.

Finally, if a holiday falls on a non-workday, you aren’t entitled to an "in lieu of" holiday. On the other hand, if your agency’s office or facility is closed due to an "in lieu of" holiday for full-time employees, your agency may grant paid excused absence to any part-time employees who are otherwise scheduled to work on that day.

Clear enough?