{"id":372583,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/florida-law\/florida-legal-holidays-laws.html"},"modified":"2026-06-08T15:56:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T20:56:04","slug":"florida-legal-holidays-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/florida-law\/florida-legal-holidays-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Florida Legal Holidays and Holiday Pay Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Florida Legal Holidays and Holiday Pay Laws<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Lyle Therese A. Hilotin-Lee, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Catherine Hodder, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Florida<\/span> does not require private employers to provide holiday pay<\/span>.\u00a0Your right to paid time off<\/span> on holidays depends on your employer and the terms of your employment agreement. State government employees receive paid holidays<\/span> under Florida<\/span> law<\/span>, but private-sector workers don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Everyone loves time off, but should they be getting paid for it? If you have questions about your holiday pay<\/span> rights or believe your employer has violated a wage agreement, contact a\u00a0Florida<\/span> employment law<\/span> attorney<\/a>. They can review your situation and help you understand your options.<\/p>\n

Is Holiday Pay<\/span> Required in Florida<\/span>?<\/h2>\n

The short answer is no, at least not for most workers. Your right to holiday pay<\/span> is determined by your employer and the specific terms of your employment agreement.<\/p>\n

Under the federal\u00a0Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)<\/a>, employers are not required to pay employees for time not worked, including holidays. Florida<\/span> has no state law<\/span> that adds to this baseline. Holiday pay<\/span> in the private sector is entirely a matter of employer policy, employment contracts, or collective bargaining agreements.<\/p>\n

The rules are different for state government workers. If you work for a Florida<\/span> state agency, you are entitled to paid time off<\/span> on the nine holidays designated under Florida<\/span> law<\/span>. In the private sector, your employer decides whether to offer holiday pay<\/span>, which holidays it covers, and how much it pays. Many private employers in retail and food service treat holidays as regular workdays<\/span> and are fully within their legal rights to do so.<\/p>\n

Florida<\/span> law<\/span> entitles state agency employees to paid holidays<\/span> on nine designated days each year, which are listed below. If a paid <\/span>holiday<\/span> falls<\/span> on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed. If a holiday falls<\/span> on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as a holiday. In addition, full-time state employees are granted one extra personal holiday each year.<\/p>\n

Employers must not discriminate when granting or denying holiday time off. Federal law<\/span> prohibits decisions based on religion, race, or other protected characteristics when determining who receives a holiday off.<\/p>\n

What Non-Exempt Employees Should Know About Overtime and Holidays<\/h2>\n

A common misconception is that working on a holiday automatically triggers overtime pay<\/span>. Under the\u00a0FLSA<\/a>, overtime is calculated based on hours actually worked in a workweek<\/span>, not hours paid. That distinction matters when a holiday falls<\/span> within a regular workweek<\/span>.<\/p>\n

If your employer gives you paid time off<\/span> for a holiday, those hours count as paid hours but not as hours worked for overtime purposes. For instance, let\u2019s say that you received eight hours of holiday pay<\/span> and worked 40 hours during the rest of the week. Your total compensation covers 48 hours, but because only 40 were actually worked, no overtime is owed.<\/p>\n

If your employer requires you to work on the holiday and your total hours worked that week exceed 40, you are entitled to overtime pay<\/span> for those excess hours. The rate must be at least one-and-a-half times your regular pay. That obligation exists because of the hours worked, not simply because the day is a holiday. The\u00a0Department of Labor<\/a>\u00a0confirms that working on a holiday does not automatically trigger overtime. The FLSA only requires overtime when your total hours worked that week cross the 40-hour mark, regardless of which days those hours fall on.<\/p>\n

What Exempt (Salaried) Employees Should Know<\/h2>\n

If you are classified as an exempt, salaried employee, a holiday often cannot reduce your weekly paycheck. The FLSA protects exempt employees from having a holiday reduce their paycheck. As long as you do any work during that workweek<\/span>, your employer owes you your full weekly salary, regardless of whether a holiday falls<\/span> in that week.<\/p>\n

Your employer may still require you to use accrued vacation time<\/span> or paid time off<\/span> (PTO) to cover a holiday closure. They cannot dock your salary for the holiday, but they can reduce your PTO balance.<\/p>\n

If your employer reduces your salary because of a holiday or holiday closure rather than applying PTO, that could raise questions about your exempt classification and may constitute a wage violation. If this has happened to you, a\u00a0Florida<\/span> employment law<\/span> attorney<\/a>\u00a0can help you determine whether your rights have been violated.<\/p>\n

Florida<\/span> State Employee Paid Holidays<\/span><\/h2>\n

Florida<\/span> law<\/span> designates the following as paid holidays<\/span> for state government employees:<\/p>\n