Holidays

Paid Holiday Time Off

You receive paid holiday time off when you're appointed to work at least 20 hours per week for at least 4.5 continuous months. If you're faculty, you must be appointed for at least 50% time for at least 4.5 continuous months. If you're appointed less than full-time, you'll be granted holiday leave based on the percentage of hours you're appointed.

If your position requires you to have student status as a condition of employment, you aren't eligible for paid holiday time off. For more information, please see the university's Handbook of Operating Procedures.

How holidays are determined

The holiday schedule is published each year. The state legislature determines the number of holidays that can be observed by all state agencies and institutions of higher education. The university observes the same number of holidays, a combination of national and state holidays, that are observed by state agencies. However, institutions of higher education are allowed to be flexible when establishing their own schedules. So while the number of holidays observed is always the same, the university may have a different schedule than state agencies.

The legislature stipulates that we can only observe holidays that fall on a weekday. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, we can't observe it on a different day such as the previous Friday or the following Monday.

Floating Holiday

Some years the holiday schedule includes a floating holiday. If it does, you will receive 8 hours of floating holiday time off. If you’re less than full-time, you will receive floating holiday leave based on the percentage of hours you’re appointed. The floating holiday may be used with your supervisor's approval. A floating holiday carries over each fiscal year until it is used or until you leave the university, at which point it's paid to you.

2024-2025 Holiday Schedule

2025-2026 Holiday Schedule

Skeleton Crews

According to the Texas Government Code, the university must provide minimum services on skeleton crew days. This does not apply to a holiday that falls on a Saturday, Sunday, the Friday after Thanksgiving Day, or the 24th or 26th of December.

When skeleton crews are required

Vice presidents and deans determine how their reporting departments will handle skeleton crews. For example, if the work of the department involves conducting business with the public, then a skeleton crew would probably be necessary.

Depending on the type of work, the vice president or dean might allow the skeleton crew to work from an off-campus location or by phone. Vice presidents or deans determine the minimum number of staff required for an on-site skeleton crew.

Skeleton crew compensation

If you're part of an on-site skeleton crew, you'll be granted compensatory time in addition to the holiday. In this situation, worked time is recorded on your Time Entry Calendar in addition to the holiday time.