Tallahassee, FL - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a holiday gift for state employees by giving additional paid time off during the 2024 holiday season.
State offices will be closed on Dec. 23, Dec. 24, and Dec. 31, granting Florida’s approximately 165,000 state workers extra days to spend with their families and loved ones.
These closures come in addition to the recognized holidays of Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1).
DeSantis emphasized the decision as a gesture of appreciation for the state workforce after a challenging year.
“Florida is in great shape, and we want to reward our state employees,” DeSantis stated. “After a full year — including three costly hurricanes — we hope these extra days off allow for state workers to spend more time with their families and loved ones during this holiday season.”
This marks the fourth consecutive year DeSantis has provided additional time off during the holidays.
Last year, state employees also received four extra days off, including pre-holiday closures on similar dates.
In addition to the holiday closures, DeSantis previously declared the day before Thanksgiving as a paid day off, creating a long holiday weekend for state workers.
Earlier this year, he also introduced a four-day weekend for Independence Day, giving state employees more opportunities to enjoy time with their families.
Florida state employees typically observe nine official holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
This year’s extra days off reflect DeSantis’s ongoing efforts to acknowledge and reward the dedication of Florida’s public workforce.