Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management today issued guidance to federal agencies on administering employee pay and leave benefits for the observation of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Inauguration Day, two federal holidays.

The federal commemoration of Dr. King's birthday is Monday, January 17; Inauguration Day is Thursday, January 20. The holidays fall within the same week and pay period.

In a memorandum (attached) to agency and department heads, OPM Director Kay Coles James reminds agencies of several important administrative and legal requirements. For instance, agencies are required to provide "holiday premium pay" to federal employees who are required to work on Dr. King's birthday.

While Inauguration Day is a federal holiday for pay and leave purposes, only federal employees in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area have the day off. As with Dr. King's birthday, employees in the Washington, DC, area who must work on January 20 will receive holiday premium pay. Employees on official travel outside of their Washington, DC, duty station should consider Inauguration Day a regular work day.

The memo also addresses the treatment of pay and leave for employees who perform their duties on an "alternate work schedule."

An OPM fact sheet on the treatment of pay and leave for these federal holidays can be found at www.opm.gov/oca/worksch/html/holiday.asp .

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.