Holiday Reminders For CA Employers

1. California employers are not required to provide employees time off for holidays.

California law does not require that an employer provide its employees with paid holidays, that the business closes for any holiday, or that employees be given the day off for any holiday (except for religious accommodations).

2. California employers are not required to pay for time off for holidays, nor are they required to pay additional wages if employees work on holidays.

Additionally, there is no requirement that employers give “holiday pay” for work performed on holidays. Employers can voluntarily agree to pay employees extra pay for work that is required during holidays, but these terms would be governed by policy set forth by the employer.

3. Employers must provide reasonable accommodations for employees who cannot work on certain holidays due to religious observances.

Employers need to be aware of any religious observances of their employees and provide reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations are assessed on case-by-case basis and depend on the company’s type of business and the accommodation requested for.

If the employer’s operations require employees to work during normally recognized holidays, such as a restaurant, then this should be communicated to employees in the handbook or other policies. You’ll need to set the expectation that an essential part of the job requires work during normal holidays.

4. If an employer pays for time off during holidays, the employer does not have to allow employees to accrue holiday paid time off.

The employer’s policy regarding holiday pay must clearly set forth that this benefit does not accrue to employees and that they must be employed during the specific holidays to receive the holiday pay. Some employers will also require employees to work the days leading up to and following the holiday in order be eligible for the holiday pay.

5. If a pay day falls on certain holidays, and the employer is closed, the employer may process payroll on the next business day.

If an employer is closed on holidays listed in the California Government Code, then the employer may pay wages on the next business day.