What are the normal contract agreements regarding holiday pay?

If your job is based on a 40 hours work week of seven days, then anything over 40 hours of work, shall be paid at time and a half.

This is the Federal Law of 1972 and was the basis for many police departments throughout the country having to pay their officers time and a half pay, based on the above.

You can calculate how this fits into your situation.

Many employees will not let you work 40 hours in seven days, so they do not have to pay you overtime.

You got paid what you would have earned if you had worked, 5 hours. If you got paid for 8 hours you would have earned more on your paid day off than you would have earned working. Every one got paid what they would have earned if they were working that day, no more no less, that seems fair. Sorry. There are federal and state wage and hour laws that govern things like work week and overtime, as @john65pennington mentions, but employers aren’t required by law to give people paid days off so it is really up to them how they handle it.

There is really no standard. I’ve had jobs where I got Thanksgiving and Christmas off but didn’t get paid for them, jobs where there were a certain number paid holidays set out by the company, and like your employer, pay was prorated according to a person’s work schedule, people who worked 20 or 30 hours a week weren’t paid for holidays at the same rate as full time employees, and jobs where I had a set number of hours of paid leave every year which included my vacation time, paid holidays and sick days. Once they were used up, say I used them up before Christmas, even if the business was closed and I couldn’t work, I didn’t get paid because I’d used up all my hours. It really varies, there is no standard regarding holiday pay. It is up to your employer.

Thanks guys~

Sorry! It looks like for the week of Thanksgiving, between your hours worked and your holiday pay you still got paid for your 40 hours a week.

I had another answer entirely before I reread your question.

You mentioned a contract. Before I said word one to the employer I would certainly want to know “What does the contract say?” After all, that’s the nominal agreement that binds both of you. If they’re violating the contract by not paying you for the proper hours, then you should definitely bring it up. No other opinion matters. What does the contract say?

Yes, I got paid for 40 hours, @lillycoyote.
@CWOTUS Even if there was a loop hole like that I still wouldn’t bring it up. It’s not worth creating a fuss about.