Trump gifts Christmas Eve off to Federal workers with an executive order decree
President Trump is offering Federal employees an early holiday gift this year with the signing of an executive order allowing workers a day off on Christmas Eve.
The executive order signed on Tuesday declared that all government executive departments and agencies will be closed and its employees relieved from duty on Dec. 24.
However, the order notes that some employees may be required to report to work “for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.”
“The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2018, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need,” the executive order stated.
Previous administrations followed the loosely tradition of granting Monday off when Christmas falls on a Tuesday. President George W. Bush allowed Federal employees to take off Christmas Eve in 2001 and 2007, and President Barack Obama issued the same executive order in 2012.
The director of the Office of Personnel Management was authorized to carry out the mandate, according to the White House.