Holiday Pay Requirements – Alabama

Employers working out of Alabama are not required to pay their employees for any holidays. If employers wish to be closed on a holiday it is completely up to their discretion if they wish to compensate the employees. If an employer deems it appropriate to stay open on a holiday they also are in no way required to pay any sort of special rate unless by working the employee has entered into an overtime situation.

Alabama state workers, however, are given many holidays off, including Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Robert E. Lee’s birthday, George Washington’s birthday, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, Confederate Memorial Day, National Memorial Day, Jefferson Davis’ birthday, the Fourth day of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Fraternal Day, Veterans’ Day, American Indian Heritage Day, and the day designated by the Governor for public thanksgiving.

In those instances, if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday immediately following is considered the holiday. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday immediately preceding is considered the holiday. In addition to the legal holidays above, Mardi gras is a recognized holiday in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, and all state offices are closed that day as well. If employees must work on a day deemed a holiday, they are compensated leave or paid compensation in lieu of the holiday.

In regards to paydays and holidays, for Alabama state employees who receive semi-monthly paydays (normally the 1st and 16th of each month) if the payday falls on a weekend or a holiday, the payday will be moved back to the last day preceding the weekend or holiday, with the exception of an October 1 payday (if the October 1st payday is on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, payment will be made on the next succeeding workday).

While employers are not required to match the benefits Alabama state workers receive, some do mirror at least a few of the holidays, particularly Christmas and Thanksgiving, as well as structured paydays in some semi-monthly fashion, all of which is completely up to the employer.

All of the detailed laws regarding holiday pay and all federal and state laws can be found on the Alabama Complete Labor Law poster.