Trump Just Gave a New Gift to Federal Employees

Townhall.com ^ | December 18, 2018 | Leah Barkoukis

[Kaslin]

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that gives federal employees the day off on Christmas Eve.

“All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Monday, December 24, 2018, the day before Christmas Day,” the order says. 

Certain offices may need to be open, however, to carry out responsibilities related to "national security, defense, or other public need," according to the order. 

“The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2018, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need,” the order continues. 

Past presidents have also given federal workers the day off.

While Christmas Day is a federal holiday, giving federal employees additional time off has been inconsistent for different presidents.

Christmas fell on a Monday last year, but there was no extra day off for workers.

In 2012, former President Barack Obama excused federal employees from duty on Christmas Eve when it fell on a Monday. In 2014, he closed the federal government on the day after Christmas Day. The following year, workers were given a half day on Christmas Eve.

Former President George W. Bush did give workers the day off on Christmas Eve in 2001 and in 2007when it landed on a Monday. (Fox 5)

.@WhiteHouse has issued an Executive Order providing for the closing of Executive Departments and Federal Agencies on December 24: https://t.co/EAdBJnikZr— OPM (@USOPM) December 19, 2018

[Hyman Roth]

The reality is that they’re not doing any work on Christmas Eve, anyway.

Or any other day of the week...:>)

[AlanSC]

Took 20 some years of applying to get into fed as employee. 4 hrs of sick leVe earned each pay period (26 per year), start of 4 hours of pro per period, I get six hours due to prior military service that counts towards years of service, 10 holidays plus anything additional such as the Bush funeral and now Christmas eve. So yeah, some decent time off is a great benefit after being a contractor for 25 years and I will spend the next 15 to 20 years as federal employee most likely until retirement.

[Kaslin]

Are you paying attention? Obviously not. He is working onon the border and the immigration. Its the rats that refuse to give to him

NOW LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND ROLL YOUR EYES

[TangledUpInBlue]

Who cares? If you ask me, businesses should be closed for the full week. No one will be around anyway. It’s something good we can learn from Europe.

[Madam Theophilus]

Agree! You know from past videos that in many departments Monday would have been be a big party day, too.

[Flick Lives]

Turn on your sarc filter.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I know that Mexico has the “puente” day off by law, but I don’t believe that it is a generalized custom in Latin American countries or in Spain.

[wbarmy]

I think it is a negotiating tactic.

If the “government” shuts down, the Democrats get to spend the whole CHristmas Holiday screaming about how bad Trump is.

Most thinking people will get real tired of it and tune it out, making the Democrats look like fools again. Then Trump wil get the funding, after saying he was willing to negotiate, and the Democrats will continue to be barking mad.

[morphing libertarian]

Cal state employees used to get half day a gift from the governors. One Christmas Eve I was director of California youth authority. I was at fourth level from top and highest ranking present in hq

[nikos1121]

Will it be a paid day off?

[ELS]

I think most private sector companies give it off, but certainly not all.

One former employer I had would close the entire company the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

[dis.kevin]

I work for the State an have to work Christmas eve, though we usually get a 1/2 day off by the Governor.

[cyclotic]

Absolutely agree, especially outside the district.

I know a lot of guys who work at Aberdeen Proving Ground. These guys are serious scientists and researchers and do excellent work.

[john316]

I think he should have given all “non-essential” gubment employees about 4 weeks off with deferred pay..IOW..shut it down till the RINO’s and RATS fund the Wall.

[fatima]

Santa has a package that needs to arrive on Monday :)

[righttackle44]

Because 10 Federal Holidays just aren’t enough.

How about so some federal employees who work long, long hours can spend some time with their children and spouses?

I have worked with federal employees who are frequently in the office by 6 a.m. and will work until 7 or 8p.m. that evening. I have worked with private sector employees to drop into the office at 10, claiming an early morning emergency, spend two or three hours and lunch, and leave early. And then the latter complain they don't get enough time off.

Hmmmmm?

[John Milner]

This has been customary for decades. If Christmas falls on a Tuesday, the President will usually give Christmas Eve off. If a Thursday, December 26.

*****

This exactly. It ALWAYS (pretty much) happens when Christmas is on a Tues or Thurs.

Worked for USDoD for 30 years. Would schedule my Use or Lose vacation for the end of the year then suddenly they would make this day a holiday and I’d lose a day of vacation because it couldn’t carry over into the next year.

Eventually I figured out to count on an extra day even if it didn’t come, just to avoid losing a day off.

[marktwain]

I knew lots of hard working government employees.

I retired after 30+ years of government service.

There is the old joke:

America is a great place!

If you like Capitalism, you have the free market!

If you like Socialism, you have the Civil Service!

If you like Communism, you have the Military!

Much truth in that joke, but all of it, ultimately, is supported by the productive people in the marketplace.

Also true is the marketplace needs government to exist at all. You need an ordered society, with enforceable laws, property rights, and a court system to settle disputes. You cannot have capitalism without it, unless you stretch the definition of capitalism to the breaking point, including barter system societies rife with piracy and robber gangs.

[Justa]

Are you fricking kidding me?

It’s a 4-day government holiday like most holidays that fall near the weekend. All the order does is mean Gov. employees don’t charge leave for Monday. That’s it.

They all have 4 day holidays, their organizations declare the extra day as a “down day” with a permissive leave policy. IOW, Gov. employees are basically told to take Leave the one day of the four-day not covered by the weekend or the holiday itself.

So it’s a four day Gov holiday, -just like all the other holidays of the year that occur Thur - Tuesday. Trump just saved them a day of leave.

[DoodleDawg]

If this only applies to this year, I’m wondering if this is a negotiating tactic...

As the article pointed out this is pretty common when Christmas falls on a Tuesday or a Saturday. Past Presidents have done it.