Holidays

Fully benefits-eligible employees, who are regularly scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week (.50 FTE) in a position that is six months or more in duration are eligible to receive holiday pay for each holiday designated by the University. Ten holidays are normally selected by the University president each year, which typically include:

  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Christmas Day
  • One "floating" holiday associated with Christmas Day
  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth

Designated holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday shall normally be observed on a Friday or a Monday.

Holiday Schedule (PDF)

Employees must work or be on an approved paid status on their last scheduled workday before and first scheduled workday after the holiday to qualify for holiday pay. Holidays occurring during scheduled paid absences will not be charged against vacation or paid sick time. 

What is considered approved paid status?

To be on an "approved paid status," an employee must be receiving pay through the University payroll system based on regular work or approved paid leave that was scheduled in advance (e.g., vacation time, compensatory time). If the employee is not receiving any pay through the University payroll system, then the employee is not on an approved paid status.

Employees on an unpaid leave of absence: Employees will not be paid for holidays occurring during an excused or unexcused unpaid leave of absence or any other absence without pay. Academic-year employees do not receive holiday pay for holidays falling within their non-work period.

Employees required to work on a holiday: In the event that an employee's regular day off falls on a holiday, or an employee is required to work on a holiday, that employee will receive an alternative day off with pay in the same pay period. 

If a full-time, full-benefits-eligible employee is required to work an eight-hour day on an official University holiday, how is this employee paid?

Non-Exempt: A full-time benefits-eligible nonexempt employee who is required to work on the holiday has two options:

  1. The employee may be paid for eight hours of work AND receive eight hours of holiday pay.
  2. The employee may be paid for eight hours of work on the holiday AND the supervisor shall authorize an alternative day off work within the same pay period in place of the paid holiday. If the alternate holiday is one of the University Closure days, the employee may choose to bank the Closure day for later use.

Exempt: A full-benefits-eligible exempt employee required to work on the holiday receives regular pay for the work performed AND the supervisor authorizes a different day off work within the same pay period as an alternative paid holiday.

Employees shall be paid on a prorated basis for designated holidays based on their regularly scheduled total pay period hours. To calculate holiday pay for eligible employees whose regularly scheduled pay period hours are at least half-time but less than full-time, multiply 8 hours by the employee's full-time equivalency.

Example: An employee regularly scheduled to work 60 hours per pay period, or .75 FTE, receives .75 × 8 = 6 hours of holiday pay.

At departmental discretion, employees whose normal workday exceeds 8 hours may be paid holiday pay in excess of 8 hours per holiday. However, the maximum holiday pay per fiscal year is limited to 80 hours.

Upon separation from employment, employees shall be paid for any holiday pay earned during the immediately preceding pay cycle and approved by the administrative supervisor but not yet received.

Do you need more assistance? 

Connect with HR Solutions
Phone: 520-621-3660
Email: hrsolutions@arizona.edu