Calendars in the Yellowhammer State are marked off by just as many work holidays as Crimson Tide football Saturdays. These legal holidays help us remember national events and historical figures, help us mark the passing of the work year, and give us the odd Monday or Friday out of the office, which is always nice. That said, not every national or state holiday guarantees paid time off. This is an introduction to legal holidays laws in Alabama.
Holidays in Alabama
Most of our legal holidays are nation-wide, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Memorial Day, and we get a day off or earn a little extra holiday pay if we choose to work. In addition, each state has its own particular legal holidays laws, which can recognize additional state holidays, like American Indian Heritage Day and Robert E. Lee’s birthday in Alabama.
Alabama Legal Holidays Statutes
Legal holiday laws in Alabama are highlighted in the table below.
| Code Section | Code of Alabama 1-3-8: Holidays Enumerated |
| Holidays | New Year's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; Mardi Gras (Mobile & Baldwin Counties only); Washington's and Jefferson's Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Fraternal Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Jefferson Davis' Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day; Robert E. Lee's Birthday; American Indian Heritage Day |
Legal Holidays and Employment
When most of us think about a holiday, we tend to think about how they will affect our employment. For the most part, how much we can earn is regulated by Alabama’s wage and hour laws and under strict minimum wage and overtime pay statutes. But when it comes to holidays, not every state employer is required to give employees paid time off for holidays or pay employees extra for working legal holidays. And there are no federal employment laws that require holiday pay for work performed on legal holidays.
As such, private employers in Alabama can legally require their employees to work on holidays and for only the normal wage. However, most employers are able to recognize the benefits of a happy staff, and will voluntarily provide overtime pay for working on a holiday or give employees legal holidays off entirely. How your employer treats legal holidays will generally come down to the specific terms of your employment contract.
Alabama Legal Holidays Laws: Related Resources
Legal holidays can be treated differently by states and private employers. If you would like legal assistance with an employment matter, you can contact an Alabama employment law attorney. You can also visit FindLaw's Employment Law section for more articles and resources on this topic.
