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Q&A: Holiday Pay

By October 24, 2022February 21st, 2023No Comments

How do I pay an employee who has to work on a holiday that everyone else had off as paid? Do I pay overtime for that day?

Employers in most states are allowed to set forth in their holiday policies an explanation of what will happen if an employee is required to work on a day the employer has designated as a paid holiday. Since the policy of giving a paid day off may be construed by the courts as a contract to do so, the employer must make up the lost benefit to the employee in some manner. The normal procedure is to grant another day off or if you wish, pay time and a half for all hours worked on the day designated as a holiday. No special overtime requirements apply to holidays. That is left up to the organization’s discretion.


501 members and subscribers have unlimited access to HR Services. Contact us any time regarding holiday pay, sample policies and procedures or any other HR challenge you may be facing.

The information contained in this article is not a substitute for legal advice or counsel and has been pulled from multiple sources.

(Image by Fabrikasimf from Freepik.)

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