Featured Inquiry (04/14/08)

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Question:

If an individual works on a holiday, do they receive holiday pay plus time and a half or do they just receive holiday pay plus their regular pay?

Answer:

Neither the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) nor the state Minimum Wage Act, chapter 49.46 RCW, require payment of overtime (time and a half) or other type of premium pay for work on a holiday.

Eligibility to receive overtime pay is based upon the FLSA and state minimum wage laws that, for most employees (other than fire and police positions and those positions that are exempt from the FLSA requirements), is triggered by work in excess of 40 hours within a seven-day work period. Overtime pay is due to such employees regardless of any locally-adopted premium pay provision, such as holiday pay. Since there are no federal or state requirements to provide such holiday pay, if such a benefit is provided, it would be provided on those terms established or negotiated by the local government.