Paid holidays are days an employer chooses to pay employees for, usually because the business is closed or the day has special significance. Federal law does not require them, so the policy decides which days, who qualifies and what happens if someone works.
| Decision | Common approach |
|---|---|
| Which holidays | 6 to 11 days, usually from the federal list |
| Who qualifies | Full-time and often part-time after a waiting period |
| Pay for the day off | Scheduled hours or a standard day at the regular rate |
| Working the holiday | Time and a half, or another day off |
| Weekend holidays | Observed Friday or Monday, or paid on the actual date |
| Attendance rule | Work the scheduled day before and after, if used, applied consistently |
See the holiday pay rules guide and the holiday pay calculator.
A hotel gives full-time staff 8 hours of holiday pay for Thanksgiving and pays time and a half for anyone who works it. A front desk agent at $18 an hour works Thanksgiving for 8 hours and 40 hours in total that week.
With EZTime time-off requests, employees ask for PTO from their phone and managers approve it in one place.
For the holiday hours worked, he gets $18 x 1.5 = $27 an hour, $216 for the day, and 32 hours at $18 for the rest of the week, $576. His weekly pay is $792. Because the holiday premium is at least time and a half, the extra half-time ($72) can be credited toward any overtime owed that week, and here none is owed since he worked 40 hours.
A housekeeper who had the day off gets 8 hours of holiday pay at her regular rate. Those 8 hours do not count as hours worked, so her 36 hours of actual work that week do not trigger overtime.
A floating holiday is a paid day off that the employee picks, instead of a date set by the company. Many employers add one or two to the fixed list so employees can observe a religious or cultural holiday, a birthday or another day that matters to them. The policy should say when floating holidays must be used, how much notice is needed, and whether unused ones carry over.
Holidays that fall on a weekend need a rule too. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday, and in late 2026 and early 2027, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday. Many employers observe a Saturday holiday on the Friday before and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after, but this is a policy choice, so write it down.
A dental office gives full-time staff 8 hours of holiday pay for each paid holiday. Its policy gives part-time staff holiday pay in proportion to their regular schedule.
A hygienist who is regularly scheduled 24 hours a week gets 8 x 24 / 40 = 4.8 hours of holiday pay for each holiday. Because July 4, 2026 is a Saturday, the office observes it on Friday, July 3, and pays the holiday hours in that week. The hours are paid but are not hours worked, so they do not count toward overtime.
Not under federal law. Paid holidays are a benefit set by employer policy or agreement. Check state and local rules too.
No. Holiday pay for a day not worked is not hours worked, so it does not count toward the 40 hours unless the employer’s policy says it does.
No federal law requires it. Many employers choose to, and a premium of at least time and a half can be credited toward overtime owed.
Only if the employer’s policy includes them. Many pay part-time staff a prorated amount.
A paid day off that the employee chooses, rather than a fixed date. Policies usually set notice rules and whether unused days carry over.
It depends on the policy. Many employers observe it on the Friday before, and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after.
Employees request time off from their phone, managers approve or decline it, and every request keeps a dated record.