President Barack Obama gave federal employees an early holiday gift on Friday. The President signed an executive order closing all executive branch offices and agencies the day after Christmas, giving most federal employees a four-day weekend.

“The heads of executive branch departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 26, 2014, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need,” the President wrote.

The executive order directs Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta to take the necessary steps to implement the order. In a memo to the heads of executive departments and agencies, Archuleta answered a number of pay and vacation time questions.

“Most employees who are excused from duty on Dec. 26 will receive the basic pay they would have received if no executive order had been issued. An employee who was previously scheduled to take annual leave on Dec. 26 will not be charged annual leave,” Archuleta wrote. “An employee who is required to work nonovertime hours on Dec. 26 is entitled to holiday premium pay.”

Archuleta urged employees of the Postal Service and contract employees to contact their supervisor or contract officer for information on their pay and leave entitlements for the newly-sanctioned holiday.

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