Christmas extra day off

**James48843** · 12-12-2008, 06:57 PM

From: White House Press Releases
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 11:47 AM
Subject: EXECUTIVE ORDER: CLOSING OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2008

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
(College Station, Texas)

__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
For Immediate Release December 12, 2008

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

CLOSING OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2008

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. All executive branch departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Friday, December 26, 2008, the day after Christmas Day, except as provided in section 2 of this order.

Sec. 2. The heads of executive branch departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 26, 2008, for reasons of national security or defense or other public need.

Sec. 3. Friday, December 26, 2008, shall be considered as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the pay and leave of employees of the United States.

Sec. 4. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,
December 12, 2008.

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**ChemEng** · 12-12-2008, 07:15 PM

I just got this in my inbox also.

Things must be in really good shape to give everyone a day off!

**CapeChem** · 12-12-2008, 08:13 PM

Good...Now if he will finalize payscale stuff that would be great

**budnipper1** · 12-12-2008, 08:40 PM

Section 2 always killed it for me!

But, I guess it's nice to feel "wanted"...

**PessOptimist** · 12-15-2008, 07:21 PM

Here is my agencies interpretation:

Guidance Regarding the Holiday for Federal Employees
December 26, 2008

President Bush has issued an Executive Order that closes all executive departments and agencies and excuses nonessential employees for the scheduled workday on Friday, December 26. In accordance with that Executive Order, the Western Area Power Administration will be closed and its employees excused from duty on that day. The following will apply:

Previously Scheduled Leave:

Any employee who was previously scheduled to take annual leave that day will not be charged annual leave (or any other form of paid leave, compensatory time off, or credit hours) for that day. An employee who was previously scheduled to take “use-or-lose” annual leave that day will forfeit such leave unless he or she makes arrangements to schedule another period of time off before the end of this leave year, January 3, 2009. There is no authority to restore annual leave that is forfeited under these circumstances.

Impact on Alternative Work Schedules (AWS):

An employee on a compressed work schedule (i.e., a fixed 4-10 or 5/4-9 schedule) is entitled to the total number of non-overtime hours that they are scheduled for that day. For example, an employee who would regularly work 10 hours on December 26th is entitled to 10 hours of pay.

An employee on a flexible AWS work schedule is only entitled by law to a maximum of 8 hours of pay on a holiday. This includes those employees who would regularly work 9 hours that day, earning one credit hour. Employees on a flexible AWS who would regularly work a 9-hour day on Friday, December 26th, need to adjust their work schedule during that pay period by either making arrangements to work an extra hour on another day, or use credit hours or compensatory time off to avoid having to take an extra hour of annual leave during that pay period.

If Friday, December 26th, is an employee’s AWS day off, then the prior workday, normally Wednesday, December 24st, will be the employee’s “in lieu of” holiday.

Essential Employees Required to Work on December 26th:

Employees who are scheduled/directed to work on December 25th or December 26th will receive holiday premium pay for their non-overtime holiday work. Time and attendance will be recorded based on the requirements of the employee’s pay plan, as appropriate.

If you have any questions about the holiday you may contact your Human Resources Advisor.

I guess that means I get Wednesday off.

Sorry for you section 2 people. Sounds like you will get premium pay though. Not sure about the different rules, being a WS.

Happy Holidays

Dave

**Hallatauer** · 12-19-2008, 02:28 PM

Yeah, we get premium pay, like working on a holiday. We'll be there guarding the skies like usual.

**fj-40** · 01-05-2009, 05:56 PM

It is nice to get a Holiday off and/or get paid for it. Those of us in the gs-081 Firefighter classification are barred by law from receiving Holiday, Sunday premium, and night differential pay. Nor "in-lieu of" days, even though we work on Holidays.

I am also trying to figure how we (special catgory) will be able to access our TSP at age fifty other than rolling it into a IRA and using rule 72t. If anyone has experience please let me know. My retirement counselor is less then knowledgeable in this area. Thank you.

**Pill** · 01-05-2009, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by fj-40

It is nice to get a Holiday off and/or get paid for it. Those of us in the gs-081 Firefighter classification are barred by law from receiving Holiday, Sunday premium, and night differential pay. Nor "in-lieu of" days, even though we work on Holidays.

I am also trying to figure how we (special catgory) will be able to access our TSP at age fifty other than rolling it into a IRA and using rule 72t. If anyone has experience please let me know. My retirement counselor is less then knowledgeable in this area. Thank you.

PM(private message) me your email and I will send you some information. Are you CSRS or FERS? What base are at?