Our work holidays, along with seasons, birthdays, and anniversaries, are one of many ways we measure the passing of the year. Not only do legal holidays help us remember and pay tribute to historical figures and national events, they also help us mark the passing of the year. (All while giving us a few Mondays or Fridays out of the office, which is also nice.) So what days are we celebrating in the Sunflower State? This is an overview of legal holidays laws in Kansas.
Holidays in Kansas
While most legal holidays, like Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, are nationally celebrated, some states have their own particular legal holidays laws. For example, Kansas also recognizes General Pulaski’s Memorial Day and the National Day of the Cowboy.
Kansas Legal Holidays Statutes
The details of Kansas’s legal holiday statutes are listed below.
| Code Section | Kansas Statutes 35-107: Legal Public Holidays Designated |
| Holidays | New Year's Day; Washington's Birthday; Lincoln's Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas |
Legal Holidays and Employment
Because so many holidays give us a day off of work, it’s only natural to think of legal holidays in the employment context, and of course we’re wondering if we’ll get paid, and how much. Kansas’s wage and hour laws and minimum wage and overtime pay statutes generally determine how much we can earn, but when it comes to national and state holidays, not all employers are required to provide paid time off for holidays, and may not be required to pay employees extra for working legal holidays.
There's also no federal employment law that requires extra pay for work performed on legal holidays. Under state law, private employers in Kansas can make their employees work on holidays and pay them only their normal wage. That said, most employers realize the benefits of having a happy staff has, and do give employees legal holidays off or provide overtime pay for working on a holiday. How your employer treats legal holidays will be dictated by the specific terms of your employment contract.
More Resources for Kansas Legal Holidays Laws
Figuring out how states, and your boss, will treat legal holidays can be confusing. You can visit FindLaw's section on Employment Law for additional articles and information on this topic. You can also consult with a Kansas employment law attorney in your area if you would like legal assistance regarding an employment matter.
