Understanding a Bit More About US Business Holidays
The key to understanding business holidays in the united states is that they are inspired by the US Federal Government’s holiday calendar; but are not the same list.
For instance Black Friday is a common holiday many businesses adhere to, but Federal agencies do not. With the exception of Black Friday in fact (The Friday following Thanksgiving), all of the following traditional US business holidays are also found on the Federal Holiday Calendar.
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2018 USA Business Holiday Calendar (current)
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Years Day | Monday, January 1st |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 28th |
| Independence Day | Wednesday, July 4th |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 3rd |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 22nd |
| Black Friday | Friday, November 23rd |
| Christmas Day | Tuesday, December 25th |
2019 USA Business Holiday Calendar
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Years Day | Monday, January 1st |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 27th |
| Independence Day | Wednesday, July 4th |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 2nd |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 22nd |
| Black Friday | Friday, November 28th |
| Christmas Day | Tuesday, December 25th |
2016 USA Business Holiday Calendar
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Years Day | Monday, January 1st |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 30th |
| Independence Day | Wednesday, July 4th |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 5th |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 24th |
| Black Friday | Friday, November 25th |
| Christmas Day | Tuesday, December 26th * |
*Christmas in 2016 is on a Sunday. As standard, the Federal government will use the following Monday as its day of observation regarding pay and leave purposes.
2017 USA Business Holiday Calendar
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Years Day | Monday, January 2nd * |
| Martin Luther King Jr Day | Monday, January 16th |
| President's Day (Washington's Birthday) | Monday, February 20th |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 29th |
| Independence Day | Wednesday, July 4th |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 4th |
| Columbus Day | Monday, October 9th |
| Veteran's Day | Monday, November 10th ** |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 23rd |
| Christmas Day | Tuesday, December 25th |
*In 2017, New Years fell on a Sunday. So for pay and leave reasons, it is the 2nd that will be treated as the Federal observation day.
State Holidays and Other Exceptions
Also depending on the specific areas you find yourself in, you may find that other holidays are, or are not, observed in your area. Such as:
- Martin Luther King Jr Day
- President’s Day
- Easter Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Christmas Eve
- New Years Eve
Floating and Employee Holidays
Many businesses across the United States will also create floating holidays or holidays for employee birthdays. Consult with a professional legal or tax adviser for specific legal information in your state or location. Time Clock Wizard assumes no liability for the use of any information contained in these pages.
4 Simple Tricks to Help Plan for Employee Holidays and Vacation Requests
1. Know Your Slow Periods and Make the Most of Them
Especially if your business is a seasonal one, it may be a good idea to implement a policy that requires employees to use at least some of their vacation time during the slow months. Conversely it may also be prudent to consider limiting the use of vacation time during the busy periods.
2. Handle Multiple Time Off Requests with a Policy
Plan ahead for those times when multiple employees will be submitting time off requests during various business holidays. Many businesses will simply go with a standard FIFO order. First In First Out. The first employee to submit the requests gets priority for example. There are many different approaches, but choose one ahead of time to avoid conflicts if at all possible.
3. Discuss Holidays During Hiring and On-boarding
Have the Holiday conversation with employees as early as possible. Inform them of the seasonal demands the business faces. As well as such critical items such as the above mentioned restrictions on certain holidays being used as vacation time.
4. Avoid Employee Stress by Planning Responsibilities
Do not allocate too many responsibilities to a single employee because someone has gone on vacation. Ensure to spread the responsibilities out so that no single person is taking on the majority of the missing person’s workload. Also be certain that everyone involved has access to all resources they will need ahead of time.
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