President Trump issued an executive order regarding Christmas that gives federal employees something they haven’t been given since 1935: the day before Christmas as a paid day off when Christmas falls on a Wednesday.
Trump wrote, “’All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Tuesday, December 24, 2019, the day before Christmas Day. The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on Dec. 24, 2019, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need,” as The Daily Mail noted.
The last time a president gave the day off the day before a Wednesday Christmas was when Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the day off, according to Margaret Weichert, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget Margaret Weichert, reported the Federal News Network, which also noted, “According to the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, the Office of Personnel Management will consider the day off paid and federal employees won’t be charged leave for the day. Employees who had previously scheduled leave for the 24th won’t be charged. Those who can’t reschedule use-or-lose leave before the end of the year will forfeit the time. Employees who work on the 24th will receive holiday premium pay.” – READ MORE