Holidays

The university observes several paid holidays throughout the year during which all employees, except those engaged in continuous operations, will be excused from work. Nine (9) holidays always observed include the following days:

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth National Independence Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • The Day After Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day

Each year, additional days off may be designated by the university president. These days are referred to as “extra given days.”

Access the staff holiday calendar

How does this benefit work?

An employee will be paid for a holiday only if it falls during the employee's pay period and the employee worked or was on an approved paid leave (e.g., vacation or sick), including compensatory time off, on his/her regular scheduled work day prior to the holiday. Additionally:

  • Employees who are not scheduled to work during their pay period in which a holiday occurs (for example, nine or ten-month employees or employees on leave without pay) will not be paid for the holiday.
  • Employees scheduled to work, but are absent without pay on the day before a recognized university holiday will not be paid for the holiday.
  • Employees who are on Family and Medical Leave or a leave without pay on a day that is a recognized university holiday will not be paid for that holiday.
  • Employees who are off work due to a work-related injury or illness (i.e., one for which the employee has filed a workers' compensation claim) will not be paid for the holiday. However, employees who are supplementing their workers' compensation payments (i.e., the temporary total disability [TTD] payments from the State of Missouri) by using their accrued vacation, sick leave or compensatory time off will be paid for the holiday.
  • Employees whose regular work week consists of four 10-hour days will receive eight hours of holiday pay for all recognized university holidays. The employee will need to use vacation, compensatory time or actual work hours during the week in which the recognized university holiday occurs in order to be paid for the remaining two hours of the holiday.

Nonexempt employees who are eligible to receive overtime compensation will be paid additional compensation if required to work on a holiday. The rate of compensation will be one and one-half times the regular straight-time rate for the hours worked on any of the nine holidays listed above or one times the regular straight-time rate for the hours worked on any "extra given day." This overtime compensation is in addition to the regular day's pay. The nine holidays listed above will be counted as "hours worked" toward 40 hours for the purpose of payment of overtime.

This policy does not apply to employees who are terminating employment or retiring: see Section 3.20.2 of this handbook.