Federal employees' bid to petition the White House for a day off from work on Christmas Eve fell short by more than 70,000 signatures but the administration decided to meet them half way.

President Barack Obama signed an executive order granting feds a paid half day on Dec. 24. The order says all agencies should close up and let their employees leave early, unless they serve an essential function and have to stay open, as determined by the agency head.

FREE WEBCAST: Register now to hear from FCC CIO David Bray on how agencies can do big IT on smaller budgets

Postal Service and contract employees should ask their managers whether the executive order extends to their work schedules, according to a memo from the Office of Personnel Management.

OPM also issued a FAQ, including what the paid half day means for feds who already scheduled time off and answering specific questions about pay entitlement.

The last time President Obama made Dec. 24 a half day was 2009; he gave feds the whole day off on Christmas Eve 2012.

Federal employees also circulated a petition for paid time off on Dec. 26, 2014 – a Friday – and got their wish, despite falling short of the 100,000 signatures required to get a response from the White House.

About Aaron Boyd

Aaron Boyd is an awarding-winning journalist currently serving as editor of Federal Times — a Washington, D.C. institution covering federal workforce and contracting for more than 50 years — and Fifth Domain — a news and information hub focused on cybersecurity and cyberwar from a civilian, military and international perspective.

Share:
In Other News
Load More