SHIFT PAY GUIDE
Holiday Pay: Who Actually Gets Time-and-a-Half? (US Guide)
Here's the uncomfortable truth: federal law does not require extra pay for working a holiday. No US federal rule makes Thanksgiving pay 1.5× — holiday premiums are employer policy (or union contract). But most 24/7 employers do pay them, because staffing Christmas night is hard. Here's how it actually works.
What the law does and doesn't say
The FLSA treats a holiday like any other day: only hours over 40 in the workweek trigger mandatory overtime. Rhode Island is the lone state with a general premium law (1.5× on Sundays and listed holidays, with exemptions). Massachusetts phased its blue-law retail premium out in 2023.
Everything else — which days count, how much extra, who qualifies — is your employer's policy. Read it. The details (eligibility windows, 'holiday observed' dates, floating holidays) decide real money.
The 11 federal holidays
Most US premium policies key off the federal holiday list: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Hospitals and plants often designate a shorter 'premium list' (commonly 6–8 of them) and pay 1.5× — sometimes 2× on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hourly retail tends to pay premiums only on the marquee days, if at all.
Premiums, overtime, and the overnight problem
Two mechanics trip people up. First, stacking: a holiday premium is typically an addition or multiplier on your differential-included rate, and if the week also crosses 40 hours, OT applies on top of the loaded rate. Second, overnights: if your shift runs 7 PM Christmas Eve to 7 AM Christmas Day, most policies pay the premium only for the hours that actually fall ON the holiday date.
ShiftCheck handles both: mark a day as a holiday (the 11 federal ones are built in) and the premium applies hour-by-hour to the time actually on that date, stacking with night and weekend differentials and feeding your OT rate.
Do the math for your numbers: Holiday pay calculator →
FAQ
Is holiday pay required by federal law?
No. Premium pay for holidays is employer policy or union contract, not federal law. Only hours past 40 in the week are legally owed 1.5×.
If I work a holiday and hit overtime the same week, do both apply?
Under most policies yes — the holiday premium raises your rate for those hours, and weekly OT applies to hours past 40 at your regular (loaded) rate. Check your policy's exact stacking language.
My shift starts the night before the holiday — what's premium-paid?
Usually only the hours falling on the holiday date itself (after midnight). Some policies define an 'observed holiday window' instead — read yours.
SHIFTCHECK FOR IPHONE
The app that applies every rule in this guide.
Paint your shifts on a calendar — differentials, weekly overtime, holiday premiums, and time off computed automatically. Know your paycheck before it lands.
Free calendar · $14.99 once for the full pay engine · no subscription
More guides: What Is Shift Differential? Rates & Examples (2026) · Overtime on 12-Hour Shifts: Weekly vs Daily Rules · 2-2-3 Panama Schedule Explained + Free Generator