Trump gives federal workers 2 more paid holidays. What about IL state employees?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday giving most federal employees two additional paid holidays.
Under the Dec. 18 order, most federal employees will now have Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas off.
The order only applies to federal employees, of which there were about 45,000 civilian workers in Illinois before Trump slashed the workforce earlier this year.
Though federal offices will now close to observe the additional holidays, U.S. Postal Service offices and mail delivery will operate as usual Dec. 24 and 26, according to a USPS spokesman. As was the case before the executive order, the only postal service available Christmas Day will be Priority Mail Express.
Illinois’ 55,000 state employees will still be required to work Dec. 24 and 26, as the days are not included in a calendar of state employee holidays published last year by the government.
A state statute giving state employees a paid day off on days that are “proclaimed as holidays or non-working days” by the president does not apply to Trump’s executive order. Cynthia Johnson, a spokeswoman for the state personnel agency, wrote in an email the order “does not impact State operations.”
Belleville city offices will close at noon Christmas Eve and open again Dec. 26.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 3:13 PM.
