Pay and Benefits Watch: Christmas in July
Uncle Sam hopes you enjoyed your three-day Fourth of July weekend. Unfortunately, that's the last one you'll be getting for three years. In 2000, Independence Day falls on Tuesday, followed by Wednesday in 2001 and Thursday in 2002. That means your vacation day will fall smack dab in the middle of the week until 2003, when the Fourth will be on a Friday.
The Office of Personnel Management last week published a list of federal holidays for 2000 and 2001. There are 10 federal holidays a year. The quadrennial Inauguration Day is also a holiday for workers in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Unfortunately, Jan. 20, 2001 is on a Saturday so only weekend workers will get the day off. Unlike Veterans' Day and other federal holidays that are celebrated on Monday or Friday when they fall on the weekend, there is no such "in lieu" holiday for Inauguration Day.
Next year, if you include the New Year's Day holiday on Friday Dec. 31, 1999, federal employees will get eight three-day weekends. In 2001, federal employees will get just seven three-day weekends.
In 1997, President Clinton gave federal employees an extra day off, Dec. 26, because Christmas fell on a Thursday.
Here's a list of federal holidays in 2000 and 2001.
2000 Holidays
| New Year's Day | Friday, Dec. 31, 1999 |
| Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday | Monday, Jan. 17 |
| Washington's Birthday | Monday, Feb. 21 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 29 |
| Independence Day | Tuesday, July 4 |
| Labor Day | Monday, Sept. 4 |
| Columbus Day | Monday, Oct. 9 |
| Veterans Day | Friday, Nov. 10 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, Nov. 23 |
| Christmas Day | Monday, Dec. 25 |
2001 Holidays
| New Year's Day | Monday, Jan. 1 |
| Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday | Monday, Jan. 15 |
| Washington's Birthday | Monday, Feb.19 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 28 |
| Independence Day | Wednesday, July 4 |
| Labor Day | Monday, Sept. 3 |
| Columbus Day | Monday, Oct. 8 |
| Veterans Day | Monday, Nov. 12 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, Nov. 22 |
| Christmas Day | Tuesday, Dec. 25 |
RECENT COLUMNS:
Getting ready to retire
(July 1)
Perennial pay problems
(June 24)
A look at liability
(June 17)
Legislative update
(June 10)
Upping your retirement ante
(June 3)
Tracking the TSP
(May 27)
The overtime pay gap
(May 20)
Life insurance and retirement
(May 13)
Legislative Update
(May 6)
What's in store for SESers?
(Apr. 29)
A life insurance primer
(Apr. 22)
The hoopla about broad banding
(Apr. 15)
What about the civilians?
(Apr. 8)
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OTHER PAY AND BENEFITS NEWS THIS WEEK DoD raises military child care fees Senate rejects pay, benefits proposals
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