Most government workers get Presidents Day off as a paid holiday, and some—but not all—private‑sector workers do as well.

Who definitely gets Presidents Day off

These groups almost always have a paid day off because Presidents Day is a federal holiday:

  • Federal employees (agencies, federal courts, Social Security offices, etc.).
  • U.S. Postal Service workers (no regular mail delivery that day).
  • Many state and local government employees (DMVs, many city/county offices close).
  • Most public schools and many private schools.
  • Major banks and the U.S. stock markets (NYSE, Nasdaq) are closed.

In short: if you work directly for government or in finance infrastructure, you’re very likely off and paid.

Who sometimes gets it off

Outside government, it’s much more mixed and depends on company policy:

  • Large corporate offices : some include Presidents Day in their paid holiday calendar; others don’t and stay fully open.
  • Some large retailers or chains give certain office staff the day off, but stores themselves usually stay open because it’s a big sale day.
  • A number of private employers let workers take PTO, vacation, or a personal day if they want the day, even if it’s not a company holiday.

People on forums often report that their office is open even though it’s a federal holiday, especially in non‑government white‑collar jobs.

Who usually does not get it off

Many workers don’t automatically get Presidents Day off:

  • Retail, restaurants, and hospitality (stores, malls, hotels, food service) are often busy and fully staffed.
  • Healthcare (hospitals, urgent care, many clinics) typically runs close to normal schedules.
  • Many small and mid‑sized businesses treat it as a normal workday unless they choose otherwise.

Some employers may allow unpaid leave or PTO if people want to observe the holiday, but it’s rarely guaranteed outside government or large organizations with generous holiday policies.

Quick way to know if you get it off

Because the rules differ by employer, the only reliable way to know is:

  1. Check your official holiday calendar or employee handbook.
  2. Look for “Washington’s Birthday” or “Presidents Day” on the list of paid holidays.
  1. If it’s not listed, ask HR or your manager whether it’s:
    • A paid company holiday,
    • Treated as a normal workday, or
    • A day you can take off using PTO or unpaid leave.

Bottom line: Presidents Day is always a federal holiday, but only guaranteed for government workers; for everyone else, it depends entirely on the employer’s policy.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.