The 2027 US work calendar on one page
Everything about the 2027 working year in the United States: which days are off, how many days you work, what the law says about holiday and overtime pay, and how to make the most of your time off. Each section opens with a short answer, followed by details, calculators and links to the law. Federal holidays bind federal agencies; private employers set their own — see what private employers must do.
- Working days
- 249
- Weekends and holidays
- 116
- Holidays on weekdays
- 12
Federal holidays in 2027
In short
11 federal holidays. Three fall on a weekend and move: Juneteenth to Friday, June 18, Independence Day to Monday, July 5, and Christmas to Friday, December 24. New Year’s Day 2028 is a Saturday, so it is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027.
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1Fri | Fri | New Year’s Day |
| January 18Mon | Mon | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| February 15Mon | Mon | Washington’s Birthday |
| May 31Mon | Mon | Memorial Day |
| June 18Fri | Fri | Juneteenth National Independence Day · Observed: the holiday falls on Saturday |
| July 5Mon | Mon | Independence Day · Observed: the holiday falls on Sunday |
| September 6Mon | Mon | Labor Day |
| October 11Mon | Mon | Columbus Day |
| November 11Thu | Thu | Veterans Day |
| November 25Thu | Thu | Thanksgiving Day |
| December 24Fri | Fri | Christmas Day · Observed: the holiday falls on Saturday |
| December 31Fri | Fri | New Year’s Day · Observed: the holiday falls on Saturday |
- The holidays are set by law in 5 U.S.C. 61031, and OPM publishes the dates federal employees get off2.
- A holiday on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before, one on a Sunday on the Monday after.
- The day after Thanksgiving, November 26, is not a federal holiday.
- Federal Reserve Banks close on federal holidays but stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday, so June 18, December 24 and December 31 are business days for them. They close on Monday, July 53.
What private employers must do
In short
Nothing, under federal law. Federal holidays apply to federal employees. Private employers don’t have to give holidays off or pay for them: that is up to your employer, your contract or a union agreement4.
- The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require pay for time not worked, such as holidays or vacations; these benefits are a matter of agreement between employer and employee4.
- Some government contracts, under the Service Contract Act or the Davis-Bacon Act, do require holiday pay in their wage determinations4.
- Company calendars often have fewer holidays, and some move weekend holidays differently. Your employee handbook has the list that applies to you.
Long weekends
In short
Ten three-day weekends if you get the federal holidays off: every Monday holiday, Juneteenth and Christmas on Fridays, and New Year’s Eve into 2028. Thanksgiving gives four days only if your employer also gives you Friday.
- January 1 – 3 3 daysNew Year’s Day
- January 16 – 18 3 daysBirthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- February 13 – 15 3 daysWashington’s Birthday
- May 29 – 31 3 daysMemorial Day
- June 18 – 20 3 daysJuneteenth National Independence Day
- July 3 – 5 3 daysIndependence Day
- September 4 – 6 3 daysLabor Day
- October 9 – 11 3 daysColumbus Day
- December 24 – 26 3 daysChristmas Day
- December 31, 2027 – January 2, 2028 3 daysNew Year’s Day
A few days of PTO turn a long weekend into a week or more off — see when to take time off.
Working days and hours
In short
249 working days and 116 weekend days and holidays, or 1,992 hours at 40 hours a week. March has the most working days (23), January and February the fewest (19).
| Month | Working days | Days off | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19 | 12 | 152 |
| February | 19 | 9 | 152 |
| March | 23 | 8 | 184 |
| April | 22 | 8 | 176 |
| May | 20 | 11 | 160 |
| June | 21 | 9 | 168 |
| July | 21 | 10 | 168 |
| August | 22 | 9 | 176 |
| September | 21 | 9 | 168 |
| October | 20 | 11 | 160 |
| November | 20 | 10 | 160 |
| December | 21 | 10 | 168 |
| Year | 249 | 116 | 1992 |
The count follows the federal holidays as they are observed. The calculator counts the working days and hours of any period:
Extra pay for weekends and holidays
In short
Not required by federal law. The FLSA asks for no premium on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays — only time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek5. Holiday premiums come from your employer or a union contract; federal employees get double pay for holiday work by law.
- If your employer pays at least time and a half for work on a weekend or holiday, that premium counts toward the overtime due for the week6.
- Pay for a holiday you take off is not pay for hours worked: it does not count toward the 40 hours or toward overtime pay6.
- Premiums for federal employees are listed under federal employees.
Overtime
In short
Time and a half for every hour over 40 in a workweek, for non-exempt employees. There is no federal daily overtime: a 10‑hour day is not overtime if the week stays at 40. Salaried white-collar employees can be exempt if they earn at least $684 a week ($35,568 a year) and meet the duties tests7.
- The workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours, seven days in a row, set by the employer8.
- Highly compensated employees earning at least $107,432 a year, including $684 a week in salary, can be exempt under a simpler duties test7.
- States can require more. California pays time and a half after 8 hours in a workday and double time after 129.
Paid time off
In short
No federal law requires paid vacation10. Your PTO depends on your employer or contract, and some states and cities require paid sick leave. Federal employees earn 13, 20 or 26 days of annual leave a year, by years of service11.
| Federal service | Annual leave per biweekly pay period | Days a year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 years | 4 hours | 13 |
| 3 to 15 years | 6 hours, 10 in the last pay period | 20 |
| 15 years or more | 8 hours | 26 |
Federal employees in the United States can carry up to 30 days of annual leave into the next leave year; leave above that is “use or lose”11.
When to take time off in 2027
In short
Best at year’s end: take December 27–30 off for 10 days in a row, from Friday, December 24 to Sunday, January 2. Four days next to any Monday holiday give nine days off, and so do four days around Thanksgiving (November 22–24 and 26).
- Take January 19 – 22 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off January 16 – 24
- Take February 16 – 19 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off February 13 – 21
- Take June 1 – 4 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off May 29 – June 6
- Take June 14 – 17 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off June 12 – 20
- Take July 6 – 9 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off July 3 – 11
- Take September 7 – 10 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off September 4 – 12
- Take October 12 – 15 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off October 9 – 17
- Take November 8 – 10, November 12 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off November 6 – 14
- Take November 12 off 4 days off1 day of leave, off November 11 – 14
- Take November 22 – 24, November 26 off 9 days off4 days of leave, off November 20 – 28
- Take November 26 off 4 days off1 day of leave, off November 25 – 28
- Take December 27 – 30 off 10 days off4 days of leave, off December 24, 2027 – January 2, 2028
Enter the first day and the length of your time off in working days, and the planner shows how long the break lasts:
Sick leave and family leave
In short
No federal paid sick leave for most private employees. The FMLA gives up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave a year for a birth or adoption, your own serious health condition or a close family member’s — if your employer has 50 employees within 75 miles and you have worked there 12 months and 1,250 hours12.
- The FMLA also allows up to 26 weeks to care for a family member who is a covered servicemember12.
- Paid sick leave, where you have it, comes from state and local laws or from your employer.
- Federal contractors must give their employees up to seven days of paid sick leave a year under Executive Order 1370613.
- Federal employees earn 4 hours of sick leave per biweekly pay period, 13 days a year, with no limit on how much they keep14.
Federal employees
In short
Federal employees get every federal holiday off with pay, and full-time employees get another day off “in lieu of” a holiday that falls on their regular day off. Holiday work pays double, with at least 2 hours of premium pay; Sunday work adds 25% and night work 10%15.
| Premium | Rate |
|---|---|
| Work on a holiday | +100% of basic pay, at least 2 hours |
| A tour of duty that begins or ends on a Sunday | +25%, for up to 8 hours16 |
| Night work between 6 pm and 6 am, General Schedule | +10%17 |
- Holiday premium pay covers the regular, non-overtime hours of the holiday tour of duty, up to 8 hours on a standard schedule15.
- Part-time employees get a holiday only when their regular tour falls on it, with no “in lieu of” day15.
Sources
- 5 U.S.C. 6103 — Holidays ↩
- OPM — Federal Holidays ↩
- Federal Reserve — Holidays Observed by the Federal Reserve System ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Holiday Pay ↩ ↩ ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Weekend Work ↩
- 29 CFR Part 778, sections 778.203 and 778.218 — Overtime compensation ↩ ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Earnings thresholds for the executive, administrative and professional exemption ↩ ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Overtime Pay ↩
- California Department of Industrial Relations — Overtime FAQ ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Vacation Leave ↩
- OPM — Fact Sheet: Annual Leave ↩ ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Family and Medical Leave Act ↩ ↩
- U.S. Department of Labor — Paid sick leave for federal contractors, Executive Order 13706 ↩
- OPM — Fact Sheet: Sick Leave ↩
- OPM — Fact Sheet: Holidays Work Schedules and Pay ↩ ↩ ↩
- OPM — Fact Sheet: Sunday Premium Pay ↩
- OPM — Fact Sheet: Night Pay for General Schedule Employees ↩
This guide sums up the rules in official documents. For decisions with legal consequences, check the text of the law and your employment contract.
Found a mistake or outdated information?