Posted 8:37 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18, 2026
Read the summary below to learn more about legal holiday policy for UWL employees
Paid legal holidays are an important employee benefit. There are specific rules governing eligibility, floating holidays, holiday pay, and what happens if an employee works on a holiday. The University of Wisconsin System's Personal Holiday and Legal Holiday Administration policy outlines these provisions for employees across UW institutions (excluding UW-Madison).
Eligible UW employees receive pay for nine legal holidays annually:
- New Year's Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 19)
- Memorial Day (May 25)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (September 7)
- Thanksgiving Day (November 26)
- Christmas Eve Day (December 24)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- New Year's Eve Day (December 31)
For full-time employees, each legal holiday provides eight hours of paid holiday leave. Part-time employees receive a prorated amount based on their appointment and hours worked.
Who Is Eligible?
Employees who earn sick leave are generally eligible for paid legal holidays if they are actively employed on the holiday and meet certain attendance requirements.
To qualify, an employee must:
- Work or use paid leave on the scheduled workday immediately before the holiday, or
- Work or use paid leave on the scheduled workday immediately after the holiday, or
- Work on the holiday itself, or
- Be on an approved military leave.
These provisions help ensure employees remain in pay status around the holiday period while still recognizing approved absences.
Understanding Floating Legal Holidays
One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of the policy is the floating legal holiday.
A floating legal holiday may be earned when:
- A legal holiday falls on a Saturday.
- An employee is required to work on a legal holiday.
- A legal holiday occurs on the employee's regularly scheduled day off.
Rather than losing the benefit of the holiday, eligible employees receive floating holiday hours that can be used at another time with supervisory approval.
Employees may use up to 16 legal holiday hours before the actual holiday occurs, although the amount is prorated for less-than-full-time appointments.
When Holidays Fall on Weekends
When a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday is observed on the following Monday.
When a legal holiday falls on a Saturday, eligible employees are granted a floating legal holiday instead of receiving the benefit on another day.
These rules help ensure employees receive the intended holiday benefit regardless of when the calendar holiday occurs.
For FLSA nonexempt University Staff employees:
Hours worked on the actual holiday are compensated at time and one-half.
The employee also earns a floating legal holiday.
This means employees working on holidays not only receive additional compensation for hours worked but also retain the holiday benefit for future use.
Employees should note that working on the Monday observance of a Sunday holiday is handled differently. In that circumstance, hours worked are paid at straight time, though the employee still receives a floating legal holiday.
Use It Before You Lose It
Like personal holiday hours, floating legal holiday hours are not designed to accumulate indefinitely.
For University Staff, Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees:
- Floating legal holiday hours generally must be used by June 30 following the fiscal year in which they were granted.
- Unused hours are forfeited if not used by the deadline.
- Carryover may be approved only in limited situations when the employee was not permitted to use the time due to extenuating circumstances.
Employees should monitor their leave balances regularly and plan ahead to avoid losing earned holiday hours.
Leaving UW Employment
Unused floating legal holiday balances retain value when an employee separates from employment.
Employees may:
- Receive a lump-sum payout for unused floating legal holiday hours upon retirement or separation, subject to policy provisions.
- Transfer floating legal holiday balances when moving between eligible UW System positions.
- Receive a lump-sum payout if transferring to a position that is not eligible for floating legal holidays or moving to another State of Wisconsin agency.
These provisions help ensure employees do not lose earned holiday benefits when changing positions or ending employment.
Employee Resources:
- UW-La Crosse Office of Human Resources, 608.785.8013, hrinfo@uwlax.edu.
- Requesting Time Off in Workday
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Resources: HR employee resources - Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- The University of Wisconsin System provides information regarding UW-System policy
