The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives you time off work to care for family concerns. You may need to take FMLA during a holiday; here’s how holidays can affect your FMLA entitlement and pay.
Is the Holiday Counted as one of your FMLA Days?
You are entitled to a total of 12 workweeks of FMLA leave per year under FMLA regulations. Employers usually calculate that time in days or hours consistent with their workweek definitions.
Scenarios to help you understand how holidays count toward FMLA
If you take off a full workweek of FMLA and a holiday occurs during that week when you are not scheduled to work, your entire leave is counted against FMLA.
If you take a partial workweek for intermittent FMLA and the holiday is one you normally would receive off, the holiday does not count as FMLA time.
If you take a partial workweek of FMLA and the holiday falls on a day you would normally be scheduled to work, the holiday is counted toward your FMLA entitlement.
If you take an FMLA day during a holiday week, that FMLA day may carry greater weight (for example, counting as one-fourth of the week instead of one-fifth) because you would only work four days that week.
If your schedule varies and you take one or a few FMLA days during a holiday week, your employer will typically average your weekly work hours over a defined period (often 12 months) to determine how much FMLA you used.
If you are on a continuous FMLA leave that overlaps with an extended company shutdown or holiday break when you are not expected to work, the days of that extended break generally do not count toward your FMLA total.
Can you Receive Regular Holiday Pay While on FMLA?
Whether you receive holiday pay while on FMLA depends on FMLA rules and your employer’s holiday-pay policy. The key question is whether you would have received holiday pay if you were not on FMLA leave.
Typical employer conditions for holiday pay
Work the scheduled days immediately before and after the holiday.
Use paid time off (for example, vacation or PTO) for the day before and/or after the holiday — unpaid time off usually does not qualify.
If the FMLA leave is paid (for example, you substitute paid PTO for FMLA), and you meet your employer’s holiday-pay conditions, you will usually receive holiday pay. If the FMLA leave is unpaid, you typically will not receive holiday pay.
For additional information about employer insurance and workplace programs you may find helpful, see Medical Waste/Refuse Haulers Insurance Program.
If you want broader context on workplace insurance offerings, see Military Jeeps Insurance.
FMLA is meant to let you care for family while protecting your job. Confirm details with your employer’s FMLA contact and, when appropriate, talk to an agent if you want help reviewing benefits: talk to an agent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a scheduled holiday always reduce my available FMLA time?
No. Whether a holiday counts against your FMLA depends on whether you were scheduled to work that day and whether your leave is intermittent or continuous.
Will I get holiday pay if I’m on unpaid FMLA?
Generally no; employers typically do not pay holiday pay during unpaid FMLA because you would not be receiving regular pay for that period.
How is FMLA time calculated when my schedule varies week to week?
Employers often average your weekly hours over a set period (for example, 12 months) to determine how much FMLA you used during weeks that include holidays.
Who should I contact at work to confirm how holidays affect my FMLA?
Contact your HR department or the designated FMLA administrator at your workplace to confirm scheduling and pay rules for holidays during FMLA.