List of 2023 US Holidays That Every Business Owner Needs to Know
Feb 16, 2023 • 5 min read
Use this list of the 2023 US holidays when you’re outlining a paid time off policy, deciding on PTO requests or just planning ahead.
We’ve provided everything small businesses need to know about US holidays for 2023, when is Juneteenth, Independence Day and which day Veterans Day will be observed.
You’ll learn:
- What are the Federal Holidays for 2023?
- What Does It Mean For Holidays to be “Federal”?
- The Difference Between Federal and Religious Holidays
State-wide Holidays - Do I have to allow my employees paid time off on Federal Holidays?
- Are There Designated Overtime Rates on Federal Holidays?
- Key Takeaways for Your Planning and Scheduling
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What are the Federal Holidays for 2023?
There are 11 federal holidays that are observed every year in the US.
The US federal holidays fall on the following days and dates in 2023:
**This holiday is designated as “Washington’s Birthday” but is also known as President’s Day
Important Things to Note:
- Federal holidays that fall on Saturday are celebrated on the Friday before it.
- Federal holidays that occur on Sundays are celebrated on the following Monday.
- There are federal holidays that fall on the same date each year, while others fall on the same day, but on different dates
- An example of this is Thanksgiving Day, which always falls on the fourth Thursday in November.
What Does It Mean For Holidays to be “Federal”?
Federal holidays are the days that have been established as holidays by the US Government. That is, these days have been acknowledged by law as holidays.
We know that there are different types of holidays in the US, but not all are established by the government. There are religious holidays, federal holidays, state-wide holidays, and non-public holidays. (There are also some pretty meaningless “holidays” – have you heard of Sidewalk Egg Frying Day or Star Wars Day?)
On federal holidays, banks and non-essential federal government offices are closed and federal government employees are paid for the holiday.
As the US deems these specific days as federal holidays, it encourages other businesses to close as well so that everyone can observe the holiday. But this is not mandatory.
The Difference Between Federal and Religious Holidays
There is only one religious holiday that is recognised as a federal holiday in the US – Christmas Day.
All other religious holidays are not recognized as federal holidays.
However, you should know that by law, an employer has an obligation to make reasonable accommodations for the workers observing religious holidays.
State-wide Holidays
In the US, states and cities are authorized to establish their own state and public holidays. These are observed by state governments and banks and are separate from the federal holidays established by the Government.
Some of these include:
- Idaho Human Rights Day (observed on the third Monday of January) – Idaho
- Civil Rights Day (observed on the third Monday of January) – Arizona and New Hampshire
- Lincoln’s Birthday (12 February) – California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York
- Daisy Gason Bates Day (observed on the third Monday of February) – Arkansas
- Mardi Gras (falls on the day before Ash Wednesday) – Louisiana, Mobile Counties
- Texas Independence Day (2 March) – Texas
- Town Meeting Day (observed on the first Tuesday of March) – Vermont
- Evacuation Day (17 March) – Massachusetts
- Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (26 March) – Hawaii
- Seward’s Day (on the last Monday of March) – Alaska
- César Chávez Day (21 March) – California
- Emancipation Day (on 16 April) – District of Columbia
- Patriot’s Day (on the third Monday of April) – Maine and Massachusetts
- San Jacinto Day (21 April) – Texas
- Arbor Day (falls on the last Friday of April) – Nebraska
- Truman Day (8 May) – Missouri
- Kamehameha Day (11 June) – Hawaii
- Juneteenth (19 June) – New York
- West Virginia Day (20 June) – West Virginia
- Pioneer Day (24 July) – Utah
- Victory Day (9 August) – Rhode Island
- Hawaii’s Statehood Day (on the third Friday, August) – Hawaii
- Alaska Day (18 October) – Alaska
- Day After Christmas (26 December) – Kansas, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
Do I have to allow my employees paid time off on Federal Holidays?
Are Federal Holidays Paid Holidays?
According to the law (FLSA), pay is not an obligation for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays (federal or otherwise). These benefits are generally a matter agreed upon between you and your employee (or employee’s rep).
In other words, private businesses/employers can offer some or all federal holidays off as an employee benefit, but there is no law requiring them to do so.
Are There Designated Overtime Rates on Federal Holidays?
There is no special designation for overtime pay for employees on US federal holidays and working on these days is not considered overtime. Regular overtime rules will apply, just as on normal business days.
Key Takeaways for Your Planning and Scheduling
According to the law (5 U.S.C. 6103), these are the federal holidays that will be observed every year:
- New Year’s Day (01 January ).
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January).
- Washington’s Birthday (Third Monday in February).
- Memorial Day (Last Monday in May).
- Independence Day (4th July).
- Labor Day (First Monday in September).
- Columbus Day (Second Monday in October).
- Veterans Day (11 November).
- Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November).
- Christmas Day (25 December)
Ready to build your remote team?
Use the DigiWorks platform to hire, manage, and pay remote talent from all over the world.
Planning Ahead
If you are hiring or looking to hire team members (including virtual assistants or remote workers,) it might be helpful to send over this list of US holidays so that they can accommodate it into their workflow.
If you hire remote employees or VAs from around the world (like the Philippines, Nigeria, etc) your VAs most likely would not celebrate US federal holidays (meaning they could keep your business operating on these days.)
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About DigiWorks
DigiWorks is an easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and start ups hire amazing remote talent from around the world. DigiWorks offers a way for you to hire, manage and pay people from all countries. If you find an amazing virtual assistant from Philippines, a content writer from Nigeria, or operations manager from South Africa – manage and pay your entire team from one platform with no hassle.
If you’re looking for a more affordable and sustainable option you might consider making use of a hiring platform like DigiWorks. Virtual assistant companies or platforms like DigiWorks are amazing as they not only match you with pre-vetted and assessed remote workers that can take care of all your business needs but they will also handle all onboarding and payroll needs as well.