Special Holidays and Early Release

Special Holidays

A special holiday is one that is not a part of the normal Texas A&M holiday schedule and may only be declared by the Governor of Texas (e.g. a special holiday was observed on 12-6-2018 for the interment of former U.S President George H. W. Bush).

Early Release

Early release time may be authorized during certain times of the year (e.g. the afternoon before the December holiday, etc.) by the University. Authorization of early release time is based on several factors and is approved at the discretion of University officials. Holiday rules may be used for time off during early release.

General Provisions

The following items should be noted in those instances where an early release using holiday rules or a special holiday has been authorized:

  • The President's Office or other appropriate office will provide notice to the campus in the event an early release has been authorized or a special holiday has been declared.
  • If applicable, eligible employees will be paid according to holiday rules outlined in System Regulation 31.04.01: System Holidays.
  • Employees scheduled to be on vacation or sick leave will have their accrued leave banks replenished and the time will be replaced by early release time or holiday time, whichever is appropriate.

Work and Scheduling During a Holiday or Release Time

Essential personnel may be required to work during an early release or special holiday; employees should consult with their supervisor to determine whether or not their position is considered to be "essential" for purposes of working during an early release or declared holiday.

An employee who works during a holiday or early release time:

  • Will be paid for the hours they work and will be given appropriate state compensatory time off on a straight time basis; or
  • May be paid for compensatory time on a straight time basis where a department determines that allowing compensatory time off would be disruptive to critical functions (hourly employees only).

An employee who does not work on or who is usually not scheduled to work during the special holiday or release time:

  • Will be given state compensatory time off to be taken off within the next 12 months; and/or
  • May have their current schedule adjusted appropriately with the release or holiday time to reflect the normal amount of hours the employee was scheduled to work.

Additional Information