Holiday schedule announcement email template

When to use this template

Send the next year's holiday calendar in late fall so employees can plan travel and family time. Include the observed date when a holiday falls on a weekend, any floating holidays, and how holiday pay works for hourly employees and anyone who has to work.

Retail, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing teams often work through holidays, so the email should also explain how holiday shifts are assigned and paid. A clear, early announcement avoids a wave of conflicting time-off requests. Our PTO policy guide covers holiday pay practices.

Used often inRetailHospitality and restaurants

The email templates

Copy either version, replace everything in [brackets], and read it once out loud before you send it. If it doesn't sound like you, change it.

Hi everyone,

Here is our holiday schedule for [Year]. Offices will be closed, and full-time employees will be paid for these days:

- New Year's Day: [Day, Date]
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: [Day, Date]
- Memorial Day: [Day, Date]
- Juneteenth: [Day, Date]
- Independence Day: [Day, Date] [observed date if it falls on a weekend]
- Labor Day: [Day, Date]
- Thanksgiving: [Day, Date] and [Day after, if given]
- Christmas Day: [Day, Date]
- [Floating holidays: you also get Number floating holidays to use on days that matter to you]

Part-time employees: [Your holiday pay rule].
Employees who work on a holiday: [Premium pay or alternative day off rule].

The full calendar is in [HRIS or intranet link]. If you have questions, contact [HR contact].

[HR contact]
[Company]

Hi [Location or team],

[Holiday] is coming up on [Date], and we need coverage for [Shifts or departments].

How shifts are assigned: [volunteers first, then rotation by seniority, or other rule].
Holiday pay: anyone working on [Holiday] earns [Premium rate, for example 1.5 times your regular rate].
Sign up by: [Date] at [Link or with your supervisor].

If you worked last [Holiday], you will be last in the rotation this year.

Thank you to everyone who keeps us running on holidays.

[Manager or HR name]

Subject lines to try

The subject line decides whether the email is opened today or next week. Keep it specific and short enough to read on a phone.

• [Year] company holiday schedule
• Plan ahead: our [Year] holidays
• Holiday shifts for [Holiday]: sign up by [Date]
• Office closed on [Date] for [Holiday]
• Your paid holidays for [Year]

How to personalize it

• List the actual dates, not just holiday names.
• Explain weekend observance rules.
• Include floating holidays so employees of all backgrounds can observe days that matter to them.
• Tell hourly employees exactly how holiday pay works.

Mistakes to avoid

• Announcing the calendar after people have booked travel.
• Assigning holiday shifts to the same people every year.
• Unclear rules for part-time employees.
• Assuming everyone celebrates the same holidays.

Legal and compliance notes

Private employers aren't required by federal law to give paid holidays or pay a premium for working on one. Overtime rules still apply, and some states, such as Rhode Island for certain retail work, have holiday premium rules. If you promise holiday pay in a policy, follow it consistently. Under Title VII, employers must reasonably accommodate religious observance unless it would cause undue hardship, which the Supreme Court clarified in Groff v. DeJoy (2023) means substantial increased costs.

This is general information for US employers, not legal advice. Laws change and vary by state and city, so confirm the current rules or talk to employment counsel before you rely on them.

When to send it

Send the annual calendar in October or November for the following year. Send holiday coverage requests four to six weeks before the holiday, and a reminder a week before. Workforce scheduling software makes shift swaps easier.

Before you hit send

Run through this quick check. It takes a minute and catches most of the mistakes that cause follow-up emails.

• The subject line says what changed and when, and it reads well on a phone.
• Managers were briefed and can answer questions the same day.
• Anyone personally affected heard the news privately first.
• The effective date and any action required appear in the first three lines.
• Employees without company email will get it through managers, texts, or posters.

Frequently asked questions