The seasons come and go, marked as much by the holidays we have circled on our work calendars as the turning leaves in the fall, snow in the winter, and sunshine in the summer. Legal holidays can help us remember historical figures and events and as well as mark the passing of the working year. While getting the odd Monday or Friday out of the office is great, not all holidays are treated equally, and not all employers treat holiday pay the same. So here is a quick summary of legal holidays laws in Illinois.
Holidays in Illinois
Days set aside to honor important anniversaries, historical figures, and even certain religious holidays are considered "legal holidays" when they are officially recognized by state laws. For instance, every Sunday is a legal holiday in Illinois (and most other states), which means workers are eligible for holiday pay. In llinois, legal holiday laws recognize a number of holidays celebrated nationwide, in addition to Casimir Pulaski's Birthday and other Illinois-specific days.
Illinois Legal Holidays Statutes
Below is a list of Illinois legal holiday laws.
| Code Section | 205 ILCS 630/17 |
| Holidays | New Year's Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday; President's Day; Lincoln's Birthday; Casimir Pulaski's Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
Legal Holidays and Employment
One of our biggest concerns with legal holidays is how it can affect our employment. Illinois has strict wage and hour laws that determine minimum wage and overtime, for all employees in the state. However, many employers do not need to pay employees extra for working legal holidays, or even give employees the day off. Under federal employment law, there is no guarantee for a special overtime rate for work performed on legal holidays. Therefore, a private employer could make his or her employees work on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, or any other holiday and pay the normal wage. That being said, many employers will treat legal holidays as overtime and provide overtime pay for working on a holiday.
Arizona Legal Holidays Laws: Related Resources
Because each state and each employer treats holidays differently, whether you get paid extra for working holidays or not will probably come down to your specific employment contract. If you would like to know how legal holidays might affect your current employment, you can schedule a consultation with an employment attorney in Illinois. You can also visit FindLaw’s employment law section for more general information on this topic.
