5-204: Holiday Compensation

Purpose

To outline Sacramento County's policy regarding holiday leave and holiday compensation. 

Authority

• Labor agreements negotiated with recognized employee organizations provide the authority for holiday leave and compensation for represented employees. Should there be any inconsistencies between policy and labor agreement, the labor agreement will supersede. 
• Personnel Ordinance, Sections 2.78.710, 2.78.715, 2.78.720 and 2.78.725 provide the authority for holiday leave and holiday compensation for unrepresented employees.​

Scope

This applies to County employees.

Policy

Sacramento County recognizes fourteen annual holidays and provides paid holiday leave for regular employees. Regular full-time employees are compensated for 8 hours of holiday time off and part-time employees are compensated on a prorated basis. Employees are compensated when specific holidays fall on weekends, but are observed on weekdays. Some regular employees earn holiday hours to be taken in lieu of observing the recognized holidays.

Standards of Application 

Recognized Holidays for Regular Employees

• New Year's Day - January 1 
• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday - Third Monday in January 
• Lincoln's Birthday - February 12 
• Washington's Birthday - Third Monday in February 
• Cesar Chavez Day - March 31 
• Memorial Day - Last Monday in May 
• Juneteenth - June 19 
• Independence Day - July 4 
• Labor Day - First Monday in September
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day - Second Monday in October 
• Veteran's Day - November 11 
• Thanksgiving - Fourth Thurs & Fri in November 
• Christmas Day - December 25 

Employees on unpaid leave are not compensated for holidays unless they receive paid hours on the working day immediately before or after a paid holiday.

• Employees receive holiday compensation when they return to work the first working day after a paid holiday. 
• Employees receive holiday compensation when they begin a leave without pay the first working day after a paid holiday.

Holidays on Saturdays and Sundays

When January 1, February 12, March 31, June 19, July 4, November 11, or December 25 falls on a Saturday, the County recognizes the preceding Friday as a holiday. 

When January 1, February 12, March 31, June 19, July 4, November 11, or December 25 falls on a Sunday, the County recognizes the following Monday as a holiday.

Rates of Holiday Compensation

Regular full-time employees are compensated for 8.0 hours of holiday leave on each holiday observed by the County. 

Regular part-time employees receive holiday compensation according to the pro-rated formula below. Holiday hours earned are reported in decimal fractions. 

• Formula: Sum of all hours paid (excluding standby and overtime) for three prior pay periods divided by three (pay periods) then divided by ten (maximum number of working days per pay period) equals the number of holiday hours compensated. 

If on an alternative work schedule (i.e. 9/80, 4/10), employees must use available leave balances (excluding sick leave), and, if there are no leave balances, then leave without pay, to reach scheduled hours for the day. 

When required to work on a County recognized holiday, employees entitled to holiday leave are compensated at the overtime rate that applies to the class for the amount of hours worked. 

As an example, an employee on a 9/80 work schedule works 8 hours on a holiday that falls on the 9 hour work day, the timesheet may look like this:

• Z150 8 hours (holiday pay) 
• Z110 1 hour (vacation pay) 
• Z010 8 hours (overtime pay) 
  

Holiday in Lieu Hours and Scheduled Days Off

Regular employees who work in units which earn holiday in lieu hours automatically accrue 4.6 holiday in lieu hours every pay period. 

Firefighters assigned to a 24-hour schedule shall accrue 6.4 holiday in lieu hours every pay period. 

When employees who earn holiday in lieu hours do not work on a holiday for which they are scheduled to work, they must use available leave balances (excluding sick leave) prior to authorization of unpaid leave. 

Time Off With Pay on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve

Regular and temporary employees are entitled to time off with pay on the last working day before either December 25 or January 1. 

Full time employees are entitled to 4.0 hours off. 

Part-time employees are entitled to time off on a pro-rated basis. 

Temporary employees are eligible if they have 20 or more paid hours on their timesheet per pay period for each of the previous three pay periods. 

Use the formula below to calculate time off with pay for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve for part-time and temporary employees: 

• Formula: Sum of all hours paid (excluding standby and overtime) for three prior pay periods divided by three (pay periods) divided by ten (maximum number of working days per pay period) then divided by two equals the number of holiday hours compensated. 
  

Employees must obtain their supervisor's approval when selecting either date. Some eligible employees may be unable to take the time off because of the needs of their department. They will accrue compensating time off (CTO) at the rate to which they are entitled. 

Religious Holidays

When an employee gives adequate notice, the County will make reasonable accommodations, by rescheduling working hours or releasing from work without pay, to allow the employee to observe religious holidays, except under circumstances when such accommodations would unduly interfere with County operations. Such release time may be charged to available leave balances (excluding sick leave) if requested by the employee.