- within Employment and HR topic(s)
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- with readers working within the Retail & Leisure industries
In this series, we will explore some of the ways states vary from one another in their employment laws.
While many of us get most or all federal holidays off work, these days off are generally not mandated by law. Federal law does not require private employers to provide days off for holidays, and many employers are open for business on some or even all holidays. Likewise, there is no federal law that requires holiday premium pay for those who are required to work on a holiday. However, two states have unique laws regarding holiday work.
Rhode Island requires premium pay at a rate of time and a half for most employees if they are required to work on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Victory Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. This holiday premium pay requirement does not apply to doctors, dentists, attorneys, accountants, supervisory employees, hotel and restaurant workers, and a few other groups of employees.
Massachusetts does not require premium pay, but its Blue Laws place restrictions on when employees can work on holidays. Retail workers are not allowed to work on Columbus Day (before noon), Veterans Day (before 1 pm), Thanksgiving, or Christmas unless the police have granted their employer a permit. Businesses can operate without a permit on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day (after noon), and Veterans Day (after 1 pm), but retail employees have the right to refuse to work on those dates. Businesses may operate without restriction on Martin Luther King Day, President's Day, Evacuation Day, Patriots' Day, and Bunker Hill Day. Manufacturers face similar restrictions under the Blue Laws, but their schedule is slightly different. No work without a permit is allowed on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day (before noon), Veterans Day (before 1:00), Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
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