What the FLSA does and does not require
The Department of Labor holiday pay guidance notes that the FLSA generally does not require payment for hours not worked — such as holidays — and does not require premium rates for holiday work; the explanations here reflect that scope. That is a statement about federal requirements, not about every employee: contracts, collective agreements, employer policies and state rules can and often do provide more. Read this page as arithmetic on top of your own agreement.
Worked example: 8 hours, then 8 hours plus leave
Eight worked hours at $20 with a 1.5 multiplier give base pay $160.00, premium increase $80.00 and a $240.00 total. The same shift with a double-time agreement gives $320.00. Adding eight hours of paid holiday leave under an explicit extra-benefit arrangement adds $160.00 at the plain rate, bringing the estimate to $400.00 — the leave is paid at the plain rate, not at the premium. A 1.0 multiplier means no premium: the total is the base alone.
| 8 hours at $20 | 1.5× agreement | 2× agreement |
|---|---|---|
| Worked base pay | $160.00 | $160.00 |
| Premium increase | $80.00 | $160.00 |
| Worked total | $240.00 | $320.00 |
| Plus 8 hours paid leave at the plain rate | $160.00 | $160.00 |
| Total estimate | $400.00 | $480.00 |
Keep overtime rules separate
This tool estimates only the holiday agreement you enter. It does not merge weekly overtime rules into the total, and it does not decide what happens when holiday premiums and overtime overlap — that interaction depends on the agreement and applicable rules, and it must be checked separately. Do not add this total to the overtime pay calculator total for the same week and treat the sum as a paycheck; the two estimates may overlap in ways only your rules can resolve.
Limits, entries and privacy
Worked and leave hours are capped at 24:00 each because a holiday day cannot contain more; rates accept 0 and above; multipliers run from 1 to 100. Zero is valid for every input, so leave-only or work-only estimates are both meaningful. The estimate saves in this browser under its own profile and Reset clears only this page. Corrupted storage starts a clean form with a notice rather than restoring invented figures.
Frequently asked questions
Does US federal law require double time on holidays?
No. The FLSA generally does not require premium pay for working a holiday, nor pay for unworked holidays. Premiums usually come from an employer policy, contract or collective agreement, which is exactly the input this calculator asks you to provide.
How is holiday pay with a 1.5 multiplier calculated?
Worked hours × rate gives the base, and rate × hours × 0.5 adds the premium increase. Eight hours at $20 give $160.00 base plus $80.00 premium, or $240.00 total. At double time the premium equals the base and the total doubles.
Are paid holiday hours counted as work?
No. Leave hours you enter are paid at the plain rate as a separate contractual benefit and are never added to the worked hours or given the premium multiplier. The result panel shows the two parts side by side so the distinction stays visible.
Can I combine this with my overtime estimate?
Not automatically. This tool deliberately excludes weekly overtime rules, and holiday premiums interacting with overtime must be checked under the applicable agreement. Adding the two tool totals for the same week can double-count or miss adjustments.
What if my contract pays holidays at plain rate only?
Enter 1.0 as the multiplier. The premium increase becomes zero and the estimate is the worked base plus any leave pay — the arithmetic follows the agreement you type rather than assuming a premium.
Is this a UK holiday entitlement calculator?
No. The search term is shared, but this page computes a custom work premium and optional paid leave for a day. UK statutory holiday entitlement and accrual calculations are a different subject this tool does not cover.