15.1. Eligibility

Regular full-time employees in established positions shall be entitled to take all authorized holidays at full pay, not to exceed eight (8) hours for any one day, provided they are in a full pay status on both their regularly scheduled workdays immediately preceding and following the holiday. Part-time employees shall be entitled to holiday pay in proportion to the percentage of full-time hours worked during the biweekly pay period which includes a holiday; e.g., if a part-time employee works fifty percent (50%) of the full-time hours in a pay period, the employee shall receive one‑half (½) pay for each holiday falling within that pay period.

15.2     Holidays
 The holidays in this County are:

  • January 1             (New Year’s Day)
  • Third Monday in January (Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday)
  • Third Monday in February (Washington’s Birthday)
  • Last Monday in May (Memorial Day)
  • July 4 (Independence Day)
  • First Monday in September (Labor Day)
  • Second Monday in October (Columbus Day)
  • November 11 (Veterans Day)
  • Fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day)
  • Friday following Thanksgiving Day
  • December 25             (Christmas)
  • Floating Holiday (Accrued on February 12th)
  • Every day appointed by the President of the United States or the California Governor to be a day of public mourning, thanksgiving or holiday. The granting of such holidays shall be at the Board of Supervisors’ discretion.

If the legislature or the Governor appoints a date different from the one shown above for the observance of one of these holidays, then San Mateo County shall observe the holiday on the date appointed by the Legislature or the Governor.

Winter Recess Days

  • Effective in December 2019, December 2020, December 2021, and December 2022, the County shall provide two (2) paid winter recess holidays (the equivalent of sixteen (16) hours for a full time employee) per year.
  • For a two (2) day period designated by the County between December 26th and December 31st of each year during the term of this 2019 MOU, the County agrees to hold a Winter Recess. During the Winter Recess, County departments and divisions employing bargaining unit employees may move to minimum staffing levels and/or close business, depending on the needs of the department and the public served.  Which departments and divisions will close or go to minimum staffing and which bargaining unit members will be required to work is entirely within the discretion of the Appointing Authority or their designee.  The determination for closure shall be made by the Department Head and subject to County Manager and Board of Supervisors’ approval.
  • During the Winter Recess, regular full-time employees in established positions shall be entitled to eight (8) hours of full pay for each day of the two-day Winter Recess, provided they are in a full pay status on both their regularly scheduled workdays immediately preceding and following the holiday. Part-time employees shall be entitled to holiday pay, not to exceed eight (8) hours for any one (1) day, in proportion to the average percentage of hours worked during the two (2) pay periods without holidays immediately preceding the pay period which includes the holiday.
  • If either of the Winter Recess days falls on a day the employee is not regularly scheduled to work, or if an employee is required to work on a Winter Recess day, the employee shall be entitled to equivalent straight time off with pay. “Winter Recess” exchange days shall be scheduled in the same manner as vacation, unless the department’s policy is to schedule vacation per a vacation sign up list, in which case these days shall be scheduled in the same manner as a Floating Holiday This equivalent time off is limited to sixteen (16) hours, with any time earned in excess of thirty-two (32) hours forfeited. If an employee leaves County service with accrued Winter Recess hours, those hours will be cashed out with terminal pay. Employees working on a Winter Recess day shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of this MOU.
  • Winter Recess hours will not be included as hours worked for the purpose of calculating overtime.

15.2. Holiday Falling on a Sunday

If one of the holidays listed above falls on a Sunday the holiday will be observed on Monday.

15.3. Holiday Falling on Employee’s Regular Day Off

If any of the holidays listed above falls on a day other than Sunday and the employee is not regularly scheduled to work that day, or if an employee is required to work on a holiday, the employee shall be entitled to equivalent straight-time off with pay. An employee may accrue equivalent straight time off up to one hundred twenty (120) hours, with any time earned in excess of one hundred twenty (120) hours cashed out at the equivalent straight time rate. If an employee leaves County service with accrued hours, those hours will be cashed out.

15.4. Extra help are not entitled to paid holidays. If such employees work on holidays they shall be paid the same amount as for any other day.

15.5. Hours Worked on a Holiday

Employees working more than their regularly scheduled shift on a holiday shall be compensated for such excess time as provided in Section 7, Overtime.

15.6. Paid Leave to Supplement Holiday Pay

Effective the first full pay period following Board of Supervisors’ approval of a successor MOU in 2019, for employees who work a 4/10 or 9/80 work schedule and who are required to use paid leave to supplement holiday pay in order to take the full holiday off with full pay, the County will count paid leave used on a holiday to supplement holiday pay as hours worked for the purpose of calculating overtime eligibility.

2016-02-23