President Joe Biden’s signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law means that federal employees will observe Friday the 18th as a holiday, the Office of Personnel Management confirmed June 17.
Juneteenth — the holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States and long celebrated by members of the Black community — falls on a Saturday in 2021.
Under U.S. Code, days that are categorized as “legal public holidays” that occur on a Saturday are observed on the Friday before the holiday for employees with a standard Monday to Friday work schedule.
Most feds will therefore observe Juneteenth as a holiday on Friday, unless they have a different work schedule or are deemed essential for that day, in which case other accommodations may be made.
Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.
