Whether you get paid time and a half for holidays depends on your employer and what's in your contract of employment.
For example, restaurant servers may get time and a half pay for Christmas Day but not Thanksgiving. While healthcare staff may get time and a half pay for all federal holidays.
Generally, working the following days comes with time and a half pay:
Keep reading to learn which holidays are paid time and a half depending on your profession and how to calculate time and a half pay.
Which Holidays Are Paid Time and a Half?
Which holidays are paid time and a half depends entirely on your contract and current employer. What one company pays time and a half for on certain holidays, another company won't.
However, as a general rule, most companies pay time and a half for the holidays of Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day.
Other companies may also offer time and a half for Labor Day and Memorial Day.
For example, most healthcare workers are always paid time and a half for the main holidays. It's written into their contract for these shifts.
Whereas restaurant servers or store clerks working the holidays may not be paid time and a half unless the company is generous enough to provide it.
How to Calculate Time and a Half For Holiday
It's very simple to calculate time and a half pay for holidays. You need to know your regular hourly rate of pay and the number of hours you'll be working on the holiday.
This information can be found in your contract and by asking your employer which hours you'll be working.
First, you need to take the hourly rate of pay and times it by 1.5 to get the hourly rate for time and a half pay on holidays.
Then, times the hourly rate by the number of hours you'll be working on the holiday. This gives you the total amount you'll earn for working the holiday.
To calculate time and a half pay for the holiday, use the following equation:
Hourly Rate x 1.5 x Hours Worked = Total Pay For example, if you make $10 per hour and work 6 hours on a holiday:
$10 per hour x 1.5 x 6 hours worked = $90 to be paid Is Memorial Day Time and a Half?
Generally no, working Memorial Day does not guarantee time and a half pay.
This applies to most healthcare workers, restaurant servers, and federal workers.
However, it depends on the company as to whether Memorial Day time and a half pay applies to you.
Is Labor Day Time and a Half?
Usually, people working Labor Day do not get time and a half pay. But it varies per company.
For example, most take-outs or diners won't offer Labor Day time and a half pay.
However, federal agencies that provide a day off on Labor Day to most workers, but need staff to cover on Labor Day may offer time and a half.
Is Presidents' Day Time and a Half?
Most workers do not get a day off or time and a half pay for Presidents' Day.
This means if you need to work on Presidents' Day, you'll be paid your usual hourly rate (not time and a half).
Is New Year's Day Time and a Half?
In almost all countries, New Year's Day time and a half pay applies. This means if you work on New Year's Day, you'll be paid one and a half times your usual hourly rate.
Most companies and organizations give time and a half pay on New Year's Day.
This is because it's a worldwide federal holiday that most people don't work (unless their contract or profession requires it). Therefore, extra pay for working the holidays is a concession granted.
Is Christmas Eve Time and a Half?
In most countries, including the US, Christmas Eve is a national holiday but not a federal holiday.
That means you usually have to work on Christmas Eve unless you book it as a vacation day.
Similarly, this means that Christmas Eve does not come with time and a half pay.
Are Federal Holidays Time and a Half?
Unfortunately, no, not all federal holidays in the states have time and a half pay for workers. It all depends on what's in the contract with your current employer.
Many healthcare agencies offer their workers time and a half pay for federal holidays, like Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Independence Day.
However, they may not provide double pay for all federal holidays.
Similarly, many other workers that are required to work on federal holidays, like subway staff, restaurant servers, takeout restaurants, superstores, and retail workers may not be paid time and a half.
Is Time and a Half Mandatory for Holidays?
Sadly, no, time and a half pay is not mandatory for holidays. Most federal holidays come with time and a half pay, like the following holidays:
- Christmas Day
- New Year's Day
- Thanksgiving
- Independence Day
However, not all companies or businesses offer double pay for their workers during the holidays.
This is because it's not a federal law for US companies to provide time and a half pay for holidays.
How Many Hours Is Time and a Half Holiday Paid?
It's important to remember that for companies that offer time and a half holidays, there may be a limit to the number of hours the double or 1.5 rate of pay applies.
For example, time and a half pay may apply on Memorial Day for the first 5 hours worked. Then, the normal hourly rate of pay applies.
So, if your usual rate of pay is $10 per hour and the company offers 5 hours of time and a half, yet you're working 10 hours that day, the total pay for the holiday is calculated as $125.
This is because you:
- Multiply your normal rate of pay by 5 hours
- Calculate time and a half pay of $10 per hour (hourly rate multiplied by 1.5)
- Multiply time and half by 5 hours
- Add the two totals together to calculate the total time a half pay for the holiday
Summary
To know for sure whether you will be paid time and a half pay for Presidents' Day and other federal holidays, ask your employer or check your contract of employment.
