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Federal Holiday Closings

By: Jake | December 10, 2007 | Category: General

If you have business with the federal government that you were planning to take care of on Christmas Eve Day, you may want to avoid some holiday blues and check to see if the federal office will be open.

Last Thursday, President Bush issued an executive order declaring all federal executive branch agencies be closed on Monday, December 24th. The President does state in the order that certain offices and installations of the federal government may remain open where it is deemed necessary in the interest of national security, defense or other public need.

The Santas of the federal government, the U.S. Postal Service, will be making regular deliveries on Christmas Eve Day and delivering Express Mail in most major cities on Christmas Day. Don't expect to mail something on Christmas Eve and have it there on Christmas Day though.

The USPS recommends that all First-Class Mail and Priority Mail be sent by Dec. 20 and that Express Mail be sent by Dec. 22. Mail sent by Parcel Post, the cheapest service, should be in the mail by Dec. 15. You can visit the holiday section of their website for more information.

Since a lot of other federal agencies websites I looked at do not state their holiday hours, but instead link to the Office of Personnel Management's federal holiday calendar,  I emailed some agencies to see if they would be open on Christmas Eve Day.

The Social Security Administration said all of its local offices will be closed. I have not heard from the Internal Revenue Service or Department of State, but will update this blog when I do.

The Federal Citizen Information Center will be closed, which means the National Contact Center phone lines (1-800-FED INFO, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of State Overseas Citizen Services) will all be closed and USA.gov web chat will not be available. Remember that you can find answers 24/7 on any government question you have by search our government information knowledgebase, also known as our FAQs. I will be off Christmas Eve Day, but I will be posting a blog.

| Comments [9] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: cards   holidays   packages  

Comments:

We welcome your comments and expect that our conversation will follow the general rules of respectful civil discourse. This is a moderated blog, and we will only post comments from bloggers over 13 years of age that relate to topics on Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog. We will review comments for posting within one business day. You are fully responsible for everything that you submit in your comments, and all posted comments are in the public domain. We do not discriminate against any views, but we reserve the right not to post comments.


Govenment slackers... The company I work at never closes. I am scheduled to work Dec 24, 25, 31, Jan 1... I am not happy. I wish there was a law saying everybody has Christmas off, if they want it. Who says working for the government is a bad job?

Posted by Citizen Jmaximus on December 10, 2007 at 10:05 AM EST #

Very helpful information.

Posted by GBC on December 10, 2007 at 11:39 PM EST #

I agree with you Citizen. Contractors who work for the government work as hard if not harder, than those directly employed by the government, yet WE have to come to work and our bosses won't even be here. The govt. employees already look down their noses at us enough and this just adds salt to the wound.

Posted by fsckgirl on December 13, 2007 at 07:56 AM EST #

If you dont like the rules where you work....get a different job. its all about the choices you make.

Posted by getadiffjob on December 13, 2007 at 10:32 AM EST #

Fskgirl I can't speak to your experience or for other government employees but we don't look down on contractors here at GovGab. We couldn't stop thanking our graphic designer Maria, a contractor, who helped us design this blog.
Also, a contractor runs the National Contact Center and I don't, nor do any of my colleagues, stick our noses up at them. We really value the work that contractors help us get accomplished for citizens here.

Posted by Jake on December 13, 2007 at 03:40 PM EST #

Jake I agree with you 100% there with not looking down on contractors. I work at a government/military medical facility. We all get along very well with each other, the contract workers, volunteers and government workers. That's something I've never encountered in my 29 years of working. As some say "We wouldn't have it anyother way"

Posted by Frannie on December 14, 2007 at 04:17 PM EST #

How long does the holiday for goverment last? Would they go back to work on Dec 26th? Thanks a lot!

Posted by fromChina on December 16, 2007 at 04:23 AM EST #

FromChina,

Federal government offices will reopen on Wednesday, December 26th and they will be closed next Tuesday January 1 for New Year's Day. Check out the federal holiday calendar link below for future federal holiday closings:

https://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/index.asp

Posted by Jake on December 16, 2007 at 11:07 PM EST #

Jake
It would seem to me that the Office of Personnel should review dates well in advance of the holiday so that Fed employees can make long range plans. Why is the Govt open on Dec 31?.

Posted by Norm on December 28, 2007 at 01:03 PM EST #

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