Local government employees will continue to receive the same 14.5 annual holidays if a bill to recognize Election Day as a state holiday gains traction in the House of Representatives.
Senate Bill 601, recently approved, would make Election Day a state holiday while striking observance of the current Lee-Jackson Day holiday. (See related story.)
Because the bill essentially proposes swapping one holiday for another, local government employees will continue to receive only the current number of annual holidays.
The current holiday schedule for local government employees in 2020 includes: New Year’s Day, Jan. 1; Lee-Jackson Day, Jan. 17; Martin-Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 20; George Washington Day, Feb. 17; *Easter Monday, April 13; Memorial Day, May 25; Independence Day, July 3; Labor Day, Sept. 7; Columbus Day, Oct. 12; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving, from noon Nov. 25 through Nov. 27; Christmas, Dec. 24 through 25.
The county’s holiday calendar follows the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Holiday Calendar, except for *Easter Monday, which was an additional holiday approved by the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, according to an email from Interim County Administrator Geri Hazelwood.
Hazelwood also noted that the county administration offices operate on the same schedule as the school 12 month employees during inclement weather events.
According to the policy included in the email, the school division’s weather closings are:
Employee Code 1 – 12 month employees report on regular schedule;
Employee Code 2 – 12 month employees report 2 hours late;
Employee Code 3 – System shut down for all employees. Essential personnel will be notified by their immediate supervisor.
Early Release: If a decision is made to close schools early because of inclement weather, all teachers and instructional aides may leave 30 minutes after students depart unless the building administrator requests staff to stay longer due to the need for added support to help with students. Twelve-month employees should remain at their work site for the normal working day unless specific instructions are provided from the superintendent’s office concerning early dismissal time.
