BOSTON (SHNS) – With Veterans Day falling on a Saturday this year, branches of government are again diverging on how they handle weekend holidays.
On Beacon Hill, House and Senate offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 10 to observe the holiday, according to spokespeople for the House speaker and Senate president. The Legislature is following the same general policy as the federal government, which for employment purposes observes weekend holidays on the closest weekday.
All Executive Branch agencies will be open for business Nov. 10, according to a memo from the Human Resources Division, and the state court system will also be open as usual that day, a court spokeswoman said.
Agencies should give a day off to “[a]s many employees as possible” on Nov. 10 while remaining open, under the state’s human resources guidance, with Monday marked as an “alternative day off.” State employees who work both that Friday and Monday are entitled to compensatory holiday time that they can use within 60 days.
Secretary William Galvin’s holiday calendar states that “Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday.” Most of state government follows that approach, but it’s different for holidays falling on a Sunday — like New Year’s Day earlier this year — which trigger a three-day weekend.
The State House will be open to the public on Nov. 10, and any tourists who stop by can still hop on a tour. Galvin’s “Doric Docent” tour guides will be on the clock.
Many local school districts, including Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, have no classes Nov. 10 in observance of Veterans Day.
