Governor grants public employees days off for Thanksgiving and Christmas

The short version

• NotiCel and El Nuevo Día reported Governor Jenniffer González signed Executive Order 2026-055 declaring Nov. 26 2026 Thanksgiving, Dec. 25 Christmas and Jan. 1 2027 New Year's as official holidays without using leave
• The order grants vacation days on Nov. 20, Nov. 25 and Dec. 24 2026 and additional no-leave days on Nov. 27 and from noon Dec. 31, according to NotiCel
• Employees using compensatory time instead of vacation and rules for already-approved vacations are detailed in OATRH Memorandum 18-2026, NotiCel reported
• Municipal employees require a local ordinance for similar days off and Saturdays Nov. 28 and Dec. 26 remain regular workdays unless otherwise decided, per El Nuevo Día

Updates

Update, Oct 21, 3:34 PM AST

New reports from NotiCel and El Nuevo Día add details on compensatory time, municipal employees and Saturday work rules.

NotiCel reported that the executive order covers public corporations and other Executive Branch dependencies, though application in some entities depends on their regulations. NotiCel reported

According to NotiCel, employees with accumulated compensatory time may use it instead of vacation days after coordinating with human resources. The report also states that municipal employees will require a municipal ordinance to receive similar days off. NotiCel reported

El Nuevo Día reported that Saturdays Nov. 28 and Dec. 26 2026 remain regular workdays for agencies offering Saturday service unless a nominating authority decides otherwise, and that working those days will not automatically generate compensatory time or extra pay due to this order. The report adds that agency heads must organize necessary personnel and that compensation will be evaluated based on the type of day, employee classification and applicable rules. El Nuevo Día reported

Official holidays and extra days off

Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed Executive Order 2026-055 on Wednesday declaring several days as official holidays without using leave for executive branch public employees. The order sets Thursday Nov. 26 2026 as Thanksgiving Friday Dec. 25 2026 as Christmas and Friday Jan. 1 2027 as New Year's Day Metro Puerto Rico reported. It also establishes Friday Nov. 27 2026 and from noon Thursday Dec. 31 2026 as additional holidays without using leave according to the same report.

The order further grants days off charged to vacation leave for Friday Nov. 20 Wednesday Nov. 25 and Thursday Dec. 24 2026. Both Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora reported that secretaries and agency heads must ensure essential services are not interrupted.

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What the sources posted

Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.

Acción de Gracias y la Navidad nos ofrecen un tiempo para agradecer y compartir con quienes nos acompañan durante todo el año.

Our translation: Thanksgiving and Christmas offer us a time to be grateful and share with those who accompany us throughout the year.

The source's own statement, as quoted by Metro Puerto Rico. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.

Implementation guidelines

OATRH Director Facundo M. Di Mauro Vázquez issued Special Memorandum No. 18-2026 with directives for agencies. He explained each agency must orient personnel review leave balances and communicate work arrangements during those dates Metro Puerto Rico reported. Employees without sufficient vacation balance or wishing to work those days must contact their human resources office beforehand.

The memorandum states that particular cases will be handled by each nominating authority considering available balances and operational needs. For employees already with approved vacation the granted holidays without using leave will not be deducted from their balance nor automatically extend the authorized period according to Primera Hora. Non-exempt employees required to work on no-leave holidays will receive compensatory time or pay per Article 2.09 of Law 26-2017.

Governor's statement

Governor González issued a written statement saying agencies will coordinate so the public continues to receive essential services. Saturdays Nov. 28 and Dec. 26 2026 remain regular workdays for agencies offering Saturday service according to both reports. Each nominating authority may decide on closures.

Where the sources differ

All four reports (Metro Puerto Rico, Primera Hora, NotiCel and El Nuevo Día) agree on the core dates for no-leave holidays, vacation days and additional no-leave periods, the governor's statement on essential services, and the issuance of OATRH Memorandum 18-2026. NotiCel and El Nuevo Día add that the order covers public corporations subject to their regulations, that compensatory time can substitute for vacation days, that municipal employees need an ordinance, and that required Saturday work does not automatically generate extra pay or compensatory time. No contradictions exist with the earlier Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora accounts.

What the reports do not say

The reports do not specify how many employees will be affected or the estimated fiscal impact of the additional paid days. They also do not detail which specific services will be deemed essential by each agency, what contingency plans exist if staffing is reduced, or whether the judicial branch will receive similar days off.

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Sources

Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.

1. Official Gobernadora concede días libres a empleados públicos para Acción de Gracias y NavidadOffice of the Governor (Executive Order 2026-055) · metro.pr · Spanish · checked Oct 21, 3:34 PM AST
2. Reporting Gobernadora concede días libres a empleados públicos para Acción de Gracias y NavidadMetro Puerto Rico (Metro Puerto Rico) · metro.pr · Spanish · checked Oct 21, 3:34 PM AST
3. Reporting Gobernadora concede a empleados públicos días libres para Acción de Gracias y NavidadPrimera Hora (Primera Hora) · primerahora.com · Spanish · checked Oct 21, 3:34 PM AST
4. Reporting Gobernadora concede cinco días libres adicionales a empleados públicosNotiCel (NotiCel) · noticel.com · Spanish · checked Oct 21, 3:34 PM AST
5. Reporting Jenniffer González concede días libres a empleados públicos por Acción de Gracias y NavidadEl Nuevo Día (El Nuevo Día) · elnuevodia.com · Spanish · checked Oct 21, 3:34 PM AST

How we checked this

NotiCel and El Nuevo Día reported the new details on compensatory time use, municipal requirements and Saturday work rules. The original facts on dates, the governor's written statement and memorandum guidelines rest on the earlier Metro Puerto Rico and Primera Hora reporting.

Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.