Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§5546 Pay for Sunday and holiday work

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart D— - Pay and Allowances › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - PAY ADMINISTRATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - PREMIUM PAY › § 5546

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If an employee works any part of a regular 8-hour shift on Sunday and that shift is not overtime, they must be paid their usual pay for the whole shift plus an extra 25% of that pay. For employees overseas where Sunday is a normal workday and another day is the official day of rest, the Secretary of State can treat that other day the same as Sunday for this rule. If an employee works on a federal holiday, they must get their usual pay plus an extra amount equal to their pay for holiday work that is not over 8 hours and not overtime. If an employee is required to work on a holiday, they must be paid for at least 2 hours. Overtime on Sunday or a holiday is paid under the overtime rules. These extra payments are in addition to any night-shift pay under 5545(a) and (b).

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §5546

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An employee who performs work during a regularly scheduled 8-hour period of service which is not overtime work as defined by section 5542(a) of this title a part of which is performed on Sunday is entitled to pay for the entire period of service at the rate of his basic pay, plus premium pay at a rate equal to 25 percent of his rate of basic pay. For employees serving outside the United States in areas where Sunday is a routine workday and another day of the week is officially recognized as the day of rest and worship, the Secretary of State may designate the officially recognized day of rest and worship as the day with respect to which the preceding sentence shall apply instead of Sunday.
(b)An employee who performs work on a holiday designated by Federal statute, Executive order, or with respect to an employee of the government of the District of Columbia, by order of the District of Columbia Council, is entitled to pay at the rate of his basic pay, plus premium pay at a rate equal to the rate of his basic pay, for that holiday work which is not—
(1)in excess of 8 hours; or
(2)overtime work as defined by section 5542(a) of this title.
(c)An employee who is required to perform any work on a designated holiday is entitled to pay for at least 2 hours of holiday work.
(d)An employee who performs overtime work as defined by section 5542(a) of this title on a Sunday or a designated holiday is entitled to pay for that overtime work in accordance with section 5542(a) of this title.
(e)Premium pay under this section is in addition to premium pay which may be due for the same work under section 5545(a) and (b) of this title, providing premium pay for nightwork.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

1966 Act DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 922.
June 30, 1945, ch. 212, § 302, 59 Stat. 298.
May 24, 1946, ch. 270, § 11, 60 Stat. 218. Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208, § 207, 68 Stat. 1110.
July 18, 1958, Pub. L. 85–533, § 1, 72 Stat. 377. In subsections (a) and (b), the word “officer” is omitted as included in “employee”. In subsections (b) and (c), the word “designated” is substituted for “such a” and “such” in former section 922(b) and (c) to identify the holiday as one designated by statute, Executive order, or the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report. 1967 Act Section of title 5Source (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5546(a)5 App.: 921a.
July 18, 1966, Pub. L. 89–504, § 405(b)(1), (c), 80 Stat. 297. In subsection (a), the words “An employee who performs work . . . is entitled to pay . . . at the rate of his basic pay” are coextensive with and substituted for “Any . . . service . . . performed . . . shall be compensated . . . at the rate of basic compensation of the officer or employee performing such work.” The words “section 5542(a) of this title” are substituted for “section 201 of this Act” to reflect the codification of that section in title 5, United States Code. The words “between midnight Saturday and midnight Sunday” are coextensive with and substituted for “within the period commencing at midnight Saturday and ending at midnight Sunday”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–277 inserted at end “For employees serving outside the United States in areas where Sunday is a routine workday and another day of the week is officially recognized as the day of rest and worship, the Secretary of State may designate the officially recognized day of rest and worship as the day with respect to which the preceding sentence shall apply instead of Sunday.” 1968—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 90–623, § 1(13)(A), substituted “District of Columbia Council” for “Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–623, § 1(13)(B), substituted “5542(a)” for “5442(a)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1968 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 90–623 intended to restate without substantive change the law in effect on Oct. 22, 1968, but amendment of subsec. (d) of this section by section 1(13)(B) of Pub. L. 90–623 effective as of Sept. 6, 1966, for all purposes, see section 6 of Pub. L. 90–623, set out as a note under section 5334 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

District of Columbia Council, as established by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1967, abolished as of noon Jan. 2, 1975, by Pub. L. 93–198, title VII, § 711, Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 818, and replaced by Council of District of Columbia, as provided by section 401 of Pub. L. 93–198. Condition of Performance Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(h) [title VI, § 624], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–480, 2681–518, provided that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no part of any funds provided by this Act or any other Act beginning in fiscal year 1999 and thereafter shall be available for paying Sunday premium pay to any employee unless such employee actually performed work during the time corresponding to such premium pay.” Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriations act: Pub. L. 105–61, title VI, § 636, Oct. 10, 1997, 111 Stat. 1316.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 5546

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73