Most workers in the United States receive six paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. These six are so widely offered by private employers that they’re sometimes called the “Big Six.” Beyond those, many companies also pay for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, though the exact list depends entirely on your employer.
The Federal Holiday Calendar
The federal government recognizes 11 official holidays each year. Federal employees, along with most bank and post office workers, get all 11 as paid days off. Here’s the full list with the 2026 dates:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
- Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day): Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day: Friday, July 3 (observed, since July 4 falls on Saturday)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day: Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the observed holiday. When it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed instead. Many private employers follow this same convention.
No Federal Law Requires Paid Holidays
This surprises a lot of people: no federal law requires private employers to give you paid time off on any holiday. The Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs wages and overtime, does not require payment for time not worked, including holidays. Whether you get paid holidays is entirely a matter of your employment agreement, company policy, or union contract.
That also means there’s no federal requirement for employers to pay time and a half (or any premium rate) when you do work on a holiday. If you’re a nonexempt hourly worker and your shift falls on Christmas, your employer can legally pay you your regular rate unless your contract says otherwise. Overtime rules still apply if you exceed 40 hours in a week, but the holiday itself doesn’t trigger extra pay under federal law.
A small number of states have their own rules. A couple of states require premium pay for certain workers on specific holidays, particularly in the retail sector. If you work in retail or hospitality and regularly work holidays, it’s worth checking your state’s labor department website for any local requirements.
What Most Private Employers Actually Offer
About 80% of private industry workers have access to some paid holidays. The number of days varies by industry, company size, and your role. A typical private employer offers somewhere between six and ten paid holidays per year.
Nearly every employer that offers paid holidays includes the Big Six: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. After those, the next most commonly offered days are Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. Larger companies and white-collar industries tend to be more generous, sometimes offering all 11 federal holidays plus extras.
Workers in retail, food service, and healthcare are less likely to receive paid holidays, partly because those industries operate on holidays. When they do get holiday benefits, it often comes in the form of premium pay (like time and a half) for working the holiday rather than a paid day off.
Juneteenth and Floating Holidays
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in June 2021, making it the newest addition to the calendar. Private employer adoption has grown steadily since then, though it’s still not as universal as the Big Six. Before it became a federal holiday, only about 8% of organizations offered it as a paid day off. That number has climbed significantly, but some employers have opted to fold it into a “floating holiday” system rather than adding a fixed day to the calendar.
Floating holidays let you choose which day to take off, often from a list of options or for any personal reason. This approach has become more popular as workplaces try to accommodate employees who observe different cultural or religious holidays. If your company offers one or two floating holidays, you might use them for Juneteenth, a religious observance, your birthday, or any other day that matters to you. Check your employee handbook to see if your floating holidays expire at year-end or roll over.
How to Find Your Company’s Holiday List
Your paid holidays should be spelled out in your employee handbook, offer letter, or benefits summary. If you’re a new hire, ask HR for the current holiday schedule before your start date so you can plan ahead. If you’re job hunting, holiday pay is a reasonable question to ask during the offer stage, especially if you’re comparing two positions.
Union workers should check their collective bargaining agreement, which typically lists specific paid holidays and any premium pay rates for working on those days. Government contractors may also have holiday pay requirements written into their contract under laws like the McNamara O’Hara Service Contract Act, which can mandate holiday benefits for workers on qualifying federal contracts worth more than $2,500.
Part-time workers are less likely to receive paid holidays than full-time employees, though some employers offer prorated holiday pay based on your regular schedule. If you work part-time and your employee handbook is vague on this point, ask your manager or HR directly.