Procedure Holidays
The State of Georgia currently recognizes and observes as public and legal holidays the following:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
Washington’s Birthday
Robert E. Lee’s Birthday
Confederate Memorial Day
National Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Observance of Holidays1. The Governor shall close all state offices and facilities a minimum of twelve (12) days throughout the year in observance of public and legal holidays as set forth by state law and shall specify each date state offices and facilities shall be closed for such observances.
2. A holiday will normally be observed on the date designated in the Governor’s proclamation; however, consistent with applicable provisions of State Personnel Board Rule 18, one or more holiday(s) referenced above may be moved to a date later in the calendar year consistent with a technical college’s approved academic calendar.
3. Technical college employees who worked or remained in pay status (i.e., through the use of paid leave or accumulated compensatory time) on a day originally designated as a state holiday shall be provided equivalent time off for use on a day previously identified in the college’s academic calendar. Equivalent time off shall also be granted to those full-time employees whose normal/regularly scheduled day off occurred on a day originally designated as a state holiday.
4. All other Department employees who are required to work on a state holiday shall be compensated for all hours worked (up to a maximum of 8 hours) or granted equivalent time off within ninety (90) calendar days of the day proclaimed/observed as a holiday.
5. For the purposes of this policy, the term “equivalent time off” is defined as time off with pay and shall not exceed the time actually worked each day proclaimed as a holiday or eight (8) hours, whichever is less.
6. Equivalent time off may be scheduled at the discretion of the employee’s immediate supervisor, reviewing manager, or designated official or, as referenced in Paragraph B. 3., shall be scheduled consistent with a technical college’s approved academic calendar.
7. An employee shall not be granted time off for a holiday in advance of the state’s observance of the holiday.
8. An employee working in a non-technical college setting whose normal/regularly scheduled day off occurs on a day proclaimed as a state holiday shall be provided with equivalent time off as referenced in Paragraph B. 5.9. An employee may request time away from work for observance of religious holiday(s) not otherwise provided for by the Governor’s proclamation(s), subject to the provisions of Paragraph D.
Eligibility for Holiday Pay1. An employee shall be paid for a holiday only if he/she is in pay status the full scheduled work day before or after the holiday subject to the following provisions:
a. Such payment shall not be made if the employee is separating from state service and the proclaimed/observed holiday is in a different calendar year;
b. The compensation of an employee who is separating in order to receive benefits under a state retirement system shall not be reduced due to application of this provision; and,
c. Such payment shall not be made to an individual initially entering or re-entering state service the calendar day following a proclaimed/observed holiday.
2. An employee who is scheduled to work on a proclaimed/observed holiday and fails to report for any portion of the scheduled duty and whose absence is not authorized, shall not be granted additional compensation or equivalent time off for the holiday.
3. An employee leaving state service or who is transferring to another state agency or technical college, and who has worked, remained in pay status, or whose normal/regularly scheduled day off occurred on one or more day(s) proclaimed by the Governor as a state holiday, must be compensated for each of these day(s) or granted equivalent time off before his/her departure.
4. Consistent with the intent of Paragraph B. 3., no employee hired by a technical college after a holiday proclaimed by the Governor shall receive equivalent time off later in the calendar year for that particular holiday.
5. An hourly-paid employee is not eligible for holiday pay.
6. A part-time employee shall not receive additional compensation or time off
for a holiday which occurs on a regularly scheduled off day.
Request to Observe Other Religious Holidays1. An employee may request time away from work to observe religious holiday(s) that are not provided for by this policy by submitting a written request to his/her immediate supervisor at least seven (7) days in advance of the requested day off. Employees are eligible for this priority consideration for up to three (3) workdays per calendar year.
2. The immediate supervisor shall give priority consideration to a request for leave for a religious holiday submitted pursuant to the provisions of this policy.
3. Any paid absence from work for the observance of a religious holiday shall be charged to an employee’s accrued annual leave, personal leave, or accumulated compensatory time.
4. A request by an employee for time away from work to observe a religious holiday shall not be denied unless:a. The employee has inadequate accrued annual leave, personal leave, or accumulated compensatory time to cover the period of absence; or,
b. The duties performed by the employee are urgently required and the employee, in the judgment of the immediate supervisor, reviewing manager or designated official, is the only person available who can perform the duties.
Accumulated Holiday Time1. Employees may be required to use accumulated holiday time prior to using
accrued annual leave or available compensatory time.2. An immediate supervisor, reviewing manager, or other designated official has the discretion of scheduling non-work day(s) for an employee with accumulated holiday time. In such instances, sufficient staffing must be maintained to ensure the adequate delivery of services in the affected work unit(s).
References
Created: October 1, 2001; Amended March 23, 2004, November 16, 2004, March 1, 2006