2023 holidays Payroll should note – plus, time off for Veterans Day required?

Here’s a checklist of the 2023 legal and banking holidays. As for Veterans Day, Payroll pros in some states have additional considerations.

First, the checklist: It’ll help Payroll get a plan in place for 2023, making adjustments to schedules as needed. For example, some IRS tax deposits may be due on different days than you expected. Or you may decide to process payroll earlier in the week than you typically do.

Here are 12 dates to mark on your calendar – we’ve indicated whether they’re legal (L) and/or banking (B) holidays:

• Monday, January 2, 2023: Observation of New Year’s Day (LB)
• Monday, January 16, 2023: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (LB)
• Monday, February 20, 2023: Presidents’ Day (LB)
• Monday, April 17, 2023: Observation of DC Emancipation Day (L)
• Monday, May 29, 2023: Memorial Day (LB)
• Monday, June 19, 2023: Juneteenth (LB)
• Tuesday, July 4, 2023: Independence Day (LB)
• Monday, September 4, 2023: Labor Day (LB)
• Monday, October 9, 2023: Columbus Day (LB)
• Friday, November 10, 2023: Observation of Veterans Day (LB)
• Thursday, November 23, 2023: Thanksgiving (LB)
• Monday, December 25, 2023: Christmas Day (LB)

Time off for Veterans Day

One holiday on that checklist, Veterans Day, will be of particular interest to some Payroll pros. That’s because a handful of states have laws requiring employers to offer veteran employees time off that day.

Most recently, Tennessee added a law to that effect. According to HB 2733, veteran employees must be given an unpaid day off on Veterans Day. Certain conditions must be met. For example, the employee must provide written notice one month in advance of the unpaid holiday.

The legislation makes a point of saying there’s nothing that prohibits an employer from giving a veteran employee the day off as a paid holiday.

Other states with similar laws include Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Oregon.

Reminder: This year, Veterans Day falls on a Friday, So, make sure you’re ready for November 11, 2022.