As thousands of federal employees prepare to work long hours to guide their agencies safely into the new year, the Office of Personnel Management is answering questions about how employees will be compensated for their hard work.
For example, federal employees who work on a holiday get paid twice their hourly rate. But members of the Senior Executive Service are not entitled to holiday pay-or any other type of premium pay, such as overtime, night or Sunday pay.
But keep in mind that Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000 does not count as a federal holiday for the purposes of pay, because Friday, Dec. 31, 1999 has been designated as the day New Year's will be recognized. So employees working Jan. 1 can receive overtime pay-time-and-a-half up to the pay rate for GS-10, Step 1-but not holiday pay. The same holds true for people who have to work on Christmas (Saturday, Dec. 25). The Christmas holiday, for pay purposes, is being recognized on Friday, Dec. 24.
OPM has posted answers to these and more holiday pay and leave questions on its Web site. Click here for more information.