PTO and Public Holidays - How They Work Together
Understand the relationship between PTO and public holidays. Learn whether holidays count against your PTO, what happens when holidays fall during vacation, and more.
Are Holidays Part of PTO?
In most companies, public holidays are separate from your PTO bank. You receive paid holidays in addition to your PTO allowance. However, some employers use combined systems where everything is in one bank.
Holiday During Your Vacation
If a public holiday falls during your scheduled vacation, you typically don't lose that PTO day. The holiday is free, and your vacation extends accordingly or you keep the PTO day.
Working on Holidays
If you work on a public holiday, you may receive premium pay (1.5x-2x), a substitute day off, or both. Policies vary widely by employer since there's no US legal requirement.
International Differences
In many countries (UK, EU), public holidays are additional to your annual leave entitlement by law. The US has no such requirement, leaving it to employer discretion.