Email template · Employee announcements
Holiday announcement email
In short
A holiday announcement email to employees tells staff which days the company observes, whether offices or sites are closed, who is still working, how holiday pay works and who to contact. Below are four templates for a single office closure, the annual holiday schedule, round-the-clock operations and a year-end shutdown, plus subject lines and a text version.
When to send it: Send the annual holiday schedule before the year starts. Send a reminder for each closure two to three weeks ahead, and a short final reminder two or three working days before. Shift-based teams need holiday rosters earlier, often four to six weeks ahead.
Holiday announcement email: 4 versions
Single holiday office closure
SubjectOffice closed [Day, Date] for [Holiday]
Hi everyone, A reminder that [Company] offices will be closed on [Day, Date] for [Holiday]. - Last working day before: [Date], with offices closing at [Time] [if early] - We reopen: [Day, Date] at [Time] - Customer support: [Coverage, e.g. available 9am to 5pm ET with a reduced team / closed, with an auto-reply directing urgent issues to Contact] If you're scheduled to work on the holiday, your manager has already confirmed your shift. Holiday pay follows our [Holiday Pay Policy Link or Section]. Please set an out-of-office reply and update shared calendars. Enjoy the day off, [HR Contact Name] [Title]
Annual holiday schedule
Subject[Year] company holiday schedule
Hi everyone, Here is the company holiday schedule for [Year]. These are paid holidays for eligible employees under our [Holiday Policy Name]. - [Holiday]: [Day, Date] - [Holiday]: [Day, Date] - [Holiday]: [Day, Date] - [Holiday]: [Day, Date] - [Floating Holiday]: [Number] day(s) to use on a date of your choice, with manager approval When a holiday falls on a weekend, we observe it on [the nearest Friday or Monday / Rule]. Employees at [Sites or Teams That Operate on Holidays] will receive a separate holiday roster from their managers by [Date]. The schedule is also on [Intranet Page or Calendar Link]. Questions to [HR Contact]. [HR Contact Name] [Title]
24/7 operations and shift teams
Subject[Holiday] schedule and holiday pay for [Site or Team]
Hi team, [Site or Team] will stay open on [Holiday], [Date]. Here's what you need to know: - The holiday roster is posted on [Location or System]. Please check your shifts by [Date]. - Shift swap requests are due by [Date]. All swaps need supervisor approval. - Holiday pay: if you work on [Holiday], you'll be paid [Holiday Rate, e.g. 1.5x your regular rate] for hours worked that day. Eligible employees who are not scheduled will receive [Holiday Pay for Non-Working Employees]. - Volunteers for open holiday shifts: tell [Supervisor or Workforce Contact] by [Date]. We rotate holiday shifts fairly using [Rotation Rule, e.g. who worked the last major holiday]. If you have a concern about your schedule, talk to your supervisor this week. Thanks for keeping things running, [Site Leader Name]
Year-end shutdown
SubjectYear-end closure: [Start Date] to [End Date]
Hi everyone, [Company] will close from [Start Date] through [End Date] and reopen on [Return Date]. - [Number] of these days are company holidays. The remaining [Number] days will be [paid shutdown days / taken from PTO / unpaid], per [Policy Name]. - Before you leave: submit timesheets for the period by [Date], set an out-of-office message and hand over anything urgent to [Coverage Contact]. - Emergency contact during the closure: [Name, Phone or Email]. - Payroll during the shutdown: [Pay Date Details]. Thank you for a strong year. See you on [Return Date]. [Leader Name] [Title]
Subject line ideas
- Office closed [Day, Date] for [Holiday]
- [Year] company holiday schedule
- Holiday reminder: [Holiday] on [Date]
- [Holiday] schedule and holiday pay for [Site]
- Year-end closure dates and what to do before you leave
- Holiday hours: [Holiday Week]
- Reminder: offices closed [Date]
SMS and WhatsApp version
Reminder from [Company]: [Holiday] is [Day, Date]. [Site] is [closed / open with holiday roster]. Check your shift on [System] by [Date]. Questions: [Supervisor or HR Contact].
Placeholders to replace: [Company], [Holiday], [Day, Date], [Year], [Holiday Policy Name], [Floating Holiday], [Site or Team], [Holiday Rate], [Rotation Rule], [Start Date], [End Date], [Return Date], [Coverage Contact], [HR Contact], [Site Leader Name]
Timing for office and shift-based teams
Office staff need a holiday calendar early so they can plan vacations around it, and a short reminder a couple of weeks before each closure. That's the easy part.
Shift-based teams are where holiday communication gets hard. A contact center, hospital unit or distribution center that runs every day needs the holiday roster out four to six weeks ahead, because people are booking travel and childcare. If you leave it to two weeks, expect a spike in last-minute absence requests and call-outs on the day. Send the holiday schedule, then the roster, then a reminder, and treat any change to holiday shifts like any other shift change notification, with the same notice you'd give for a regular schedule change.
Some cities and states have predictive scheduling laws, such as those in Oregon, Seattle, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia, that require advance notice of schedules for certain retail, food service or other workers and premiums for late changes. Check which apply to your sites.
What to include
Every holiday email should answer the questions employees will otherwise ask their manager:
- Which days are observed, and the rule when a holiday falls on a weekend
- Which sites or teams are closed, and which are open
- Holiday pay: who is eligible, the rate for working the holiday, and whether part-time and temporary staff qualify
- How shift rotation and swaps work
- Customer-facing coverage and emergency contacts
- Anything to do before leaving, such as timesheets
Be exact about pay. Federal law under the FLSA doesn't require private employers to give paid holidays or a premium for working on one; holiday pay is set by company policy, contracts or collective agreements. So the email is where employees learn the rules, and vague wording leads to payroll disputes. If the holiday policy itself has changed, announce it separately with a policy update announcement email rather than burying it in the schedule.
Inclusive holiday communication
Your observed holidays reflect the calendar most of your workforce follows, but not everyone. A floating holiday or a clear process for requesting time off for religious or cultural observances helps, and the holiday email is a good place to remind people of it. Under Title VII, US employers must reasonably accommodate employees' religious practices, including time off, unless it causes undue hardship.
Keep the tone of seasonal messages neutral where your workforce is diverse. "Enjoy the break" works for everyone.
Multi-site and international teams
A single company-wide holiday email rarely works when you have sites in several states or countries. Public holidays differ, and some are mandatory paid days by law outside the US. Send one central schedule per country or region, then let site leaders add local details. A central email tool with location-based lists makes it simple to send each group only the version that applies to them.
For global teams, include the time zone in any closure time and name who covers customer issues in each region.
Mistakes to avoid
- Announcing too late for shift teams to plan
- Unclear holiday pay rules, especially for part-time, temporary and agency workers
- Forgetting the weekend rule, so half the company thinks Friday is a holiday and half thinks Monday
- Inconsistent holiday rotation that gives the same people every holiday shift
- No emergency contact for the closure period
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a holiday announcement email to employees?
Name the holiday and date, say which offices or sites are closed and which stay open, explain holiday pay and shift arrangements, give customer coverage and emergency contacts, and list anything to do before leaving.
When should an office closure email be sent?
Send the annual schedule before the year begins, a reminder two to three weeks before each closure and a short final reminder a few days before. Shift-based teams need rosters four to six weeks ahead.
What should a holiday schedule email include?
All observed holidays with dates, the rule for holidays that fall on a weekend, floating holiday rules, which teams work on holidays and how they are paid, and where to find the schedule later.
Are employers required to give paid holidays in the US?
No. The FLSA does not require private employers to provide paid holidays or premium pay for working on one. Holiday pay comes from company policy or agreements, and some public employers and other countries have different rules.
How do you write a public holiday notice for a 24/7 team?
State that the site stays open, where the holiday roster is posted, the deadline for swaps, the holiday pay rate for those working and how holiday shifts are rotated fairly.