The three-day Christmas weekend just got a little bit longer for federal employees.
Government workers will be excused from work at noon on Christmas Eve, giving them an extra four hours away from the office, President Obama announced Friday evening.
It’s not standard practice for a president to relieve employees from working the day before Christmas. The day the holiday falls on determines the likelihood of snagging paid vacation time.
Last year, Christmas fell on a Thursday and Obama gave employees the following day off, which is not the norm. In recent years, the Oval Office decreed Christmas Eve a paid day off when it fell on a Monday.
Knowing this, more than 32,000 feds signed two White House petitions requesting the additional day off.
“We feel unappreciated with pay freezes and constant threats of government shutdowns,” one of the petitions reads. “Giving federal employees Thursday Dec. 24 off paid, would go a long way in showing that we deserve nothing but the best for our daily contributions in serving the people and would show how much our accomplishments and dedication deserves.”
It will be the first time in six years that employees have received half a day off on Christmas Eve.
