Government operations and workforce

Executive Order 13109: Half-Day Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on Thursday, December 24, 1998

President: Bill Clinton

Excused most federal executive-branch staff for the last half of Christmas Eve 1998, with essential-office exceptions.

Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13109 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13109 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13109 do?

EO 13109 closed federal executive departments and agencies for the last half of the scheduled workday on Thursday, December 24, 1998, and excused employees from duty. Agency heads could keep offices or staff working for national security, defense or other essential public reasons. The order addressed federal pay and leave rules for that date and expressly did not direct state or local governments. It was a one-day action, not a recurring Christmas Eve holiday.

Administration position: The order applied to one afternoon in 1998; essential federal functions could remain staffed.
SignedDecember 17, 1998
Federal RegisterDecember 22, 1998, 63 FR 70631
ClosureLast half of scheduled workday, December 24, 1998
ScopeFederal executive departments and agencies

Before and after

Before the order

December 24, 1998 was otherwise a scheduled federal workday for affected staff.

After the order

Most executive-branch employees were excused for its last half, subject to an agency-head exception.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Executive departments and agenciesClose and excuse employees for the final half-dayDecember 24, 1998
Agency headsKeep essential offices and staff on duty where necessaryDecember 24, 1998
Payroll and leave officesApply referenced federal pay and leave provisionsFor that date

What happened next

EO 13109 signed.

Half-day closure and exceptions applied.

No continuing closure date remained under this order.