DeSantis: State Offices Will Be Closed Three Extra Days For The Holidays

November 18, 2022

State employees with get three extra days off this holiday season.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced that state offices will be closed on November 23, December 23 and December 30 in addition to regular office closures during the holidays.

“Our state employees have worked hard throughout the year, especially over the past few months responding to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Closing state offices on November 23rd, December 23rd and December 30th will provide state employees with some much-deserved time with their families to enjoy the holiday season. The First Lady and I are thankful for the dedication our state employees have demonstrated to helping the people of Florida.”

Comments

17 Responses to “DeSantis: State Offices Will Be Closed Three Extra Days For The Holidays”

  1. Stumpknocker on November 22nd, 2022 11:39 am

    @ Henry Coe you would like to compare paid days off to private sector? Well let’s don’t stop there, let’s compare wages and benefits to private sector and as soon as you do that tax payers can no longer afford to pay the wages. There has been a great decline in law enforcement, fire and paramedics. This causes the agencies to start to lower the bar so just about anyone can qualify for these jobs, remember this when you call for assistance.

  2. Allen Lukkar on November 21st, 2022 10:58 am

    We have one of the best governor’s in the entire country! Good Lord at the cry-babies.

  3. John Bone Jones on November 21st, 2022 10:43 am

    If a democratic governor did this, I wonder if conservatives would complain about laziness. Seems to be double standards these days when it comes to the actions of our parties (both).

  4. joy on November 20th, 2022 6:39 am

    all of these complaints about the gov. and rightly so =YET he was voted easily back in! It amazes me that freedoms do not matter to so many any more

  5. James Smith on November 19th, 2022 9:44 pm

    FYI,
    These will be paid days off for many but not all state employees. There are many positions that are classified as OPS and they get no paid holidays, no paid vacation, and no paid sick time. The reality is that more years than not employees with the State of Florida do not get any pay raise. If you do a little research comparing the salaries of Florida state employees to other states it is embarrassingly low. For example, a Florida State Trooper withe 25 years of service makes approximately the same salary as a new hire state trooper in Louisiana. Many law enforcement and other state employees will be working on Thanksgiving and Christmas day serving the citizens of this state. Governor Desantis has increased salaries for these public servants and thank God he is giving most of them three extra days off with pay. They deserve much more but this is a move in the right direction.

  6. Henry Coe on November 19th, 2022 11:13 am

    Desantis signed a 5.3% across-the-board pay raise for state employees earlier this year.

    FL St 110.117 Paid holidays. State employees do get holiday pay.

    Whether these extra days off are paid days off for state employees is not clear. There is no law that mandates getting paid for days off but that doesn’t mean state employees are not getting paid for these days off declared by Desantis.

    It’s a shame state employees don’t get a COLA adjustment.

    I don’t see the excuses of the pandemic or hurricanes as a valid justification for State Employees across the entire state to get extra days off when the rest of us need the State to be operational in order for society to function.

    Just because someone supports Desantis does not mean you can declare these extra days off as cost neutral whether they are paid days off or not. It has economic impact especially if State Employees are losing three days of income.

  7. FaithinUS on November 19th, 2022 9:39 am

    I’m sure these workers are grateful for the extra days off, but DeSantis approached this as if they’re HIS employees and not Our PUBLIC Servants.
    Just took 3 days of help from all those hurricane victims- and the rest of us with day jobs.

  8. Cdpjr on November 19th, 2022 8:42 am

    Henry Coe and Sherrie, Hope you are having a good day.
    Just FYI, Did you know that state and county workers also pay taxes just like you do?
    Raises are not “guaranteed” every year. I went 7 years without a pay increase while the rate of inflation DID increase. I f I got a raise every year I would being doing pretty good now after 15 years. Also the rate of inflation has eatin up any pay increases in the last 2 years and then some.
    If it wasn’t for the benefits( which are now being chewed up with the rate of inflation just like everyone else) and the retirement (which now we have to pay part of that we didn’t before Rick Scott) I wouldn’t be there.
    I can make 3x’s the amount that I make with the state doing my old business I had doing home repairs… BUT….there isn’t any retirement or insurance coverage like I get with the state that can be affordable…. so a steady lower paycheck twice a month is more stable to provide for my family even in slow times.
    Please have a great day and don’t judge someone else’s life till you know ALL the facts. Thanks for reading

  9. Josh Jones on November 18th, 2022 6:12 pm

    @HenryCoe

    “…State employees who also get COLAs.”

    Incorrect. State employees get no COLA. Any salary adjustment is at the behest of the Republican Florida Legislature, which means almost never. I worked for the State for 12 years, and there was never a salary increase in all that time. One year the legislature granted a one-time $1000 bonus.

  10. Jim on November 18th, 2022 5:55 pm

    Having just gone from 20+ years of public service and government pay to working for a private corporation, I can assure you there is no comparison. Private businesses pay much better and offer much better benefits. If you would like to raise the “my tax dollars pay their salary” argument, well they pay taxes, too. What’s the harm in giving these folks 3 extra days off around the holidays to spend with their loved ones? Shame of all of you complainers. Thank a public servant when you see one because they are usually underpaid and overworked.

  11. derek on November 18th, 2022 4:35 pm

    State employees do not get regular pay increases. They are at the mercy of the legislature every single year.

  12. derek on November 18th, 2022 4:32 pm

    sherrie you have no idea what you are talking about PERIOD. State of Florida workers are some of the lowest paid in the entire country. They do not get paid overtime and they do not get paid for holidays. Giving them a day off is cost neutral which means it cost nothing. It actually saves money as utilities, cars, etc are not used. This is one day, thats all.

  13. Sherrie on November 18th, 2022 3:01 pm

    @ Henry Coe – you make valid points.

  14. Sherrie on November 18th, 2022 3:00 pm

    Just great. My taxes pay for their days off while the unsung Heroes go unrewarded yet again. Out of State Utility Workers, Hospital Staff, Volunteers, Non-profits, etc.
    I am so sick of his sanctimonious pandering.

  15. Frank Denali on November 18th, 2022 2:05 pm

    Henry I’ll be waiting for the study to be done to show how bad of an idea this is…. maybe some university will study this and run an attack ad on DeSantis in 2024. “YES, we got him now…. he hurt the economy by giving state workers more time off. A real criminal…” said no one.

  16. cj on November 18th, 2022 12:19 pm

    Usually, the state pays below what you can get otherwise. It does offer security tho. With all that has happened with the pandemic, the hurricanes, etc. Good for Governor DeSantis. Plus all the Correctional Officers, etc. will still be working.

  17. Henry Coe on November 18th, 2022 9:52 am

    So how much does that cost the state in payroll having no productivity for three days? It also probably has some amount of a negative effect on the economy by inhibiting the process of permits and licensing and filing all the necessary tidbits with the state that are part of our economy for all f our residents and businesses.
    It would also be interesting to compare with the private sector the amount of paid days off per year and sick days for State employees who also get COLAs.
    It’s a nice thing for these state workers to get three extra days off per year but is it necessarily the right thing?