Question about US statutory holidays that fall on a week-end
 

Good evening,

A quick question about American statutory holidays. If the holiday occurs on, say, a Saturday, are businesses generally closed the following Monday in lieu?

For example, Christmas this year is on a Saturday. Here in Canada, that means that businesses will be closed on the Monday (and many on the Tuesday as well, in lieu of Boxing Day on Sunday, 26 December).

Ditto New Year's Day: It's on a Saturday this year. In general, will businesses in the US be closed on Monday, 3 January as well?

Thanks for the help.

I wouldn't expect tourist, retail, hospitality places to be closed those Sundays or Mondays, unless they usually wouldn't be open holiday or not.

Vorkuta:
In the U.S., if a holiday falls on a Saturday, the day off from work is usually the Friday before the holiday. The day off usually is the day before or the day after the actual holiday, and not, as a rule, the Monday after. Of course, as MikeT mentioned, "days off" don't usually apply to stores, restaurants, and hotels. The Federal Government, Banks, regular workers, etc. all generally tend to work about the same holiday schedule (although federal government employees usually get more official holidays - excluding the day after Thanksgiving).

As an example, this year Christmas and New Year's are on Saturdays. December 24 and 31 are federal holidays. However, at my office, a law firm, we will have December 24 off, but not December 31 - and we will get an extra "floating" holiday in 2005.

Seems confusing, doesn't it?

Hello Vorkuta, in the US (or at least California) if the holiday is on a Sunday than Monday becomes a holiday so to speak.

But if the holiday is on a Saturday than Monday is a normal working day.

Always a few exceptions I would imagine but basically that is it.

And of course here in the states we do not have Boxing Day (wish we did).

The sad thing in the US in my opinion is how many supermarkets etc. are actually opened late Christmas Eve and Christmas. It is a shame.

Thanks, MikeT. Actually I also need to know about businesses, not just tourist-related operations. The reason is that my husband is a truck driver who makes frequent runs from western Canada to Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho, and he's wondering what the general tendency will be in those states on the days I mentioned. If it got down to the wire he could always just telephone the various places where he usually picks up and delivers, but any comments on the general tendencies of American businesses to stay open (or to close) would be gratefully received.

Thanks kgh8m and LoveItaly - you beat me to it while I was asking MikeT for more clarification!

I think all businesses will be open as usual on January 3.

Vorkuta, yes for sure the businesses will be open. Unfortunatly in the US there are not as many "closed for holiday's" so to speak as in some parts of the world. This year with Christmas and New Years on Saturday businesses will be open with normal operating hours as any normal Monday. Take care.

It's more likely that businesses will be closed the day before. I know at my business our holidays will be the day before.

Now let's get even more confusing. I checked US Federal Government site - "legal" holidays for 2004 do not include Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, even though real holiday falls on a Saturday. "Legal" US holidays only means banks, post office and federal employees are closed/have day off - many other places are open.

Each state has its own legal holidays - can't be less than federal holidays, but can be more. For example, Mass. has a silly holiday called "Patriots Day" in April. According to Mass. state website, for example, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, Saturday is the legal holiday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, Monday is the legal holiday.

Businesses follow their own rules - sometimes different than Federal Govt. Many businesses are open 11/11 (Veterans' Day) in order to be closed the day after Thanksgiving. But, of course, retail businesses are open even more days - rarely closing.

So, if you made it thru all the above nonsense - in summary - office/factory businesses will likely each set their own rules and may or may not be open. Retail businesses will likely be open - so it depends what type of place he makes deliveries to. I think everyone will be back to work on 1/3

Regardless of which day it is, most manufacturing, commercial services, white collar jobs and city, state and federal employees will have 1 weekday off for Christmas and 1 for New Years. Since both holidays fall on Saturday it will be either Friday before or Monday after. The 2 holidays are official holidays thus requiring a paid day off during the regular working week.
As a part owner of a small manufacturing company few years back I came up with a solution to which my partners and employees agreed. We always gave the employees a choice and majority ruled in situations like this. I could almost guarantee that in this situation the employees would take the Friday before Christmas (preperation, Christmas eve, etc...) and the Monday after New Years (a day off from all the holiday partying, all the running around, a final relaxation day before starting the new year, etc...).

Thanks everyone for the very useful information.

What a great resoure this forum is!