Providing for the Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on December 24, 2020

2020-12-16Executive Order 13965
Signed by: Donald Trump
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Headline: Federal Agencies Closed and Employees Excused on December 24

What it does: Federal agencies must close on December 24, 2020, excusing most employees while allowing agency heads to require essential staff to work.

Real World Impact:
  • Most federal employees are excused from work on December 24, 2020.
  • Some offices and workers must still report for national security or public needs.
  • Federal pay and leave rules will apply to the December 24 closure.
Topics: government operations, federal employees, holiday schedule, national security, pay and leave

Summary

This order closes all executive departments and agencies and excuses their employees from duty on Thursday, December 24, 2020, the day before Christmas. Agency leaders can keep specific offices open and require certain staff to work for national security, defense, or other public needs.

The order treats December 24 under federal pay and leave rules and directs the Office of Personnel Management to take steps to implement the closure, subject to applicable law and available funding.

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