Holiday Schedule

Holidays and Holiday Policies for University Staff

The table below lists the standard holidays that UC observes in a calendar year. To see the actual dates these holidays are observed on the Berkeley campus, see the UC Berkeley Academic Calendar (Note: some dates subject to approval)

HolidayDate
New Year's Day January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Third Monday in January
Presidents' Day Third Monday in February
Cesar Chavez Day Last Friday in March
Memorial Day Last Monday in May
Juneteenth June 19
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day First Monday in September
Veterans Day November 11
Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November
Day after Thanksgiving Fourth Friday in November
Christmas Eve December 24 (or equivalent)
Christmas Day December 25
New Year's Eve December 31 (or equivalent)

Additional Information

Eligibility

1. Full-Time Employees. A full-time employee shall receive holiday pay:

a. if on pay status on the employee's last scheduled work day before the holiday and on the first scheduled work day following the holiday (non-exempt employees only);

b. for a holiday which falls in a week in which the employee is on pay status (exempt employees only);

c. when the holiday immediately precedes the employee's day of appointment provided the holiday is the first working day(s) of the month;

d. when the holiday immediately follows the employee's last day of work provided the holiday is the last working day(s) of the month; or

e. during an approved leave of absence, a temporary layoff, or furlough which does not exceed twenty calendar days, including holidays.

2. Part-Time Employees. A part-time non-exempt employee on pay status 50 percent time or more of a month or quadriweekly cycle (excluding holiday hours) receives holiday pay in proportion to the percent of time on pay status. A part-time exempt employee receives holiday pay in proportion to the percentage of appointment. Holiday pay is not granted for a holiday that occurs before the first day of appointment for a new or rehired employee or after the day of separation.

General Provisions

1. Holidays on Saturday or Sunday. Unless an alternate day is designated by the President, a holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday and a holiday that falls on a Sunday is observed on the following Monday.

2. Special or Religious Holidays. An employee may observe a special or religious holiday, provided that work schedules can be accommodated without undue hardship to the department and provided that the time off is charged to vacation, compensatory time off, or is without pay.

3. Alternate Full-Time Work Schedule. An employee on an alternate full-time work schedule is entitled to the same number of holidays and the same amount of paid holiday time as are granted to regularly scheduled employees.

4. Other. A full-time employee whose regular day off falls on a holiday observed by the University receives either another day off or compensating holiday pay.

Provisions Applicable to Non-Exempt Employees Only

1. Unauthorized Absence or Suspension. No non-exempt employee shall receive holiday pay for any holiday which is immediately preceded or followed by an unauthorized absence or a suspension for disciplinary reasons.

2. Compensation For Holiday Work. Unless eligible for premium pay for working on December 25 as provided below, the employee who works on an observed holiday shall be paid regular pay, including any shift differential, for all hours worked. In addition, the employee receives either holiday pay at the regular straight-time rate, including shift differential, or compensatory time off. If an employee who is scheduled to work on a holiday becomes sick, the employee is eligible only for holiday pay.

A non-exempt employee who is required to work on December 25 shall be paid at the rate of 1-1/2 times the regular rate (see Definitions), including any differential, for all hours worked. In addition, if December 25 is the observed holiday, the employee receives either holiday pay at the regular straight-time rate, including shift differential, or compensatory time off. This section does not apply to Police Officers, Sergeants, and Lieutenants.

Applicability: All Staff Members