Executive Order 10825—Excusing Federal Employees From Duty All Day on July 3, 1959

WHEREAS the Fourth of July, the anniversary of the signing of our Declaration of Independence, is a day of deepest significance to our Nation; and

WHEREAS it is appropriate that we pause from our labors to mark the beginnings of our heritage of liberty and freedom; and

WHEREAS the anniversary of our Nation's birth this year falls on Saturday, a non-workday for many employees of the Federal Government, it is appropriate that those employees who do not regularly work on that day be given an alternate day in special observance of this anniversary:

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. (a) Except as provided in section 2, employees of the several executive departments, independent establishments, and other governmental agencies, including the General Accounting Office, the Government Printing Office, and the field services of the respective departments, establishments, and agencies of the Government, whose basic workweek includes Friday, July 3, 1959, and who would ordinarily be excused from work on a holiday falling within their basic workweek, shall be excused from duty all day on Friday, July 3, 1959, the day preceding the Fourth of July; but such day shall not be considered a holiday within the meaning of Executive Order No. 10358 of June 9, 1952, or of any statutes so far as they relate to the compensation and leave of employees of the United States.

(b) Any employee of the several departments, establishments, and agencies mentioned in subsection (a), whose workday (as the term "workday" is defined in section 2(b) of Executive Order No. 10358 of June 9, 1952) covers portions of two calendar days including Friday. July 3, 1959, and who would ordinarily be excused from work scheduled for the hours of any calendar day on which a holiday falls, shall be excused from work on his entire workday which commences on July 2 or July 3, 1959, as may be determined by the head of the department, establishment, or agency concerned, or his designee.

SEC. 2. (a) This order shall not be construed as excusing from duty (i) those employees of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, or other departments, establishments, or agencies who for national security or other public reasons should, in the judgment of the respective heads thereof, be at their posts of duty on July 3, 1959; or (ii) those employees whose absence from duty on July 3, 1959, would be inconsistent with the provisions of existing law.

(b) This order shall not apply to (i) any employee who receives holiday or premium pay or compensatory time in lieu thereof, for work performed on Saturday, July 4, 1959, or any part thereof, or (ii) any employee whose basic workweek includes Saturday, July 4, 1959, or any part thereof and who is excused from duty without loss of pay or leave on a workday which includes all or part of that day.

SEC. 3. Any employee mentioned in section 1 who would ordinarily be excused from work on a holiday, but who (i) is not excused from duty all day on Friday, July 3, 1959, or from duty on a workday which includes portions of that day, or (ii) whose basic workweek does not include July 3, 1959, or any portion thereof, shall be excused from duty, without charge to leave or loss of pay, on one other workday in the fiscal year 1960, at such time as may be requested by the employee and approved by the head of the department, agency, or establishment concerned or his designee.

SEC. 4. This order shall not be construed as providing a basis for granting holiday, premium, or overtime pay for Friday, July 3, 1959, or any portion of such day. Heads of the respective departments, agencies, and establishments are requested to arrange their affairs in a manner which will permit them to excuse employees from duty on that day, or to grant compensatory time in lieu thereof, without the need for additional appropriations.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

THE WHITE HOUSE,

June 12, 1959.