When is Juneteenth? Who gets the day off work? What to know about CA holiday
Juneteenth is almost here.
In 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom officially recognized the holiday, which recognizes the end of slavery in the United States, as a statewide “day of observance.”
“California is proud to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday, honoring the centuries of struggles and triumphs that have brought us to this moment,” Newsom said in the 2024 news release.
Here’s what that means for California workers and who qualifies to take the day off:
When is Juneteenth in 2025?
Juneteenth is celebrated every year on June 19.
The holiday was signed into federal law in June 2021, according to the National Park Service.
This year, Juneteenth lands on Thursday.
What does Juneteenth celebrate?
Juneteenth is “one of the oldest known commemorations related to the abolition of slavery in the United States,” according to the National Park Service.
The federal holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, became aware of their freedom, two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Juneteenth continues to be celebrated in cities with Black populations through a series of parades, family reunions, speeches and consuming of specific foods with a red color including barbecue,” the National Park Service said on its website.
These foods reflect cultural practices brought by West Africans during slavery, according to the federal agency.
“Juneteenth is an important date on the timeline of slavery history in the United States,” the agency said.
Community members and local leaders across California — including the Sacramento region — are organizing events to honor Juneteenth, reflecting on its history while celebrating Black culture and resilience.
Do California state workers get Juneteenth off?
Although former President Joe Biden signed a bill that made Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021, it remains an unpaid state holiday for California state employees.
Newsom officially recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 2022, giving state workers the option to take the day off in lieu of a personal day.
That means state employees are scheduled to work on Juneteenth unless they choose to use their accrued leave to observe the holiday.
As part of a statewide effort to encourage California cities to recognize Juneteenth as an official public holiday, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation-California aims to expand the celebration of this federal holiday across all 58 counties in the Golden State.
“Juneteenth is not just a Black-only holiday. This is a federal holiday,” foundation member Michael Harris previously told The Sacramento Bee. “To have a law that’s quasi-optional makes no sense. This is the only federal holiday that’s treated this way.”
As of Monday, June 16, Juneteenth was still not recognized as a mandatory paid state holiday for California workers.
Which California employees get Juneteenth off?
While Juneteenth is recognized as both a federal and state holiday, California law does not require employers to give time off on that day.
The city of Sacramento has yet to formally recognize the holiday, although Sacramento City Council members Rick Jennings and Caity Maple previously introduced a proposal to change that.
As of May, the proposal had yet come before the City Council for a vote on whether to observe Juneteenth as a paid city holiday.
Meanwhile, private employers can choose to observe the holiday, according to the California Chamber of Commerce.
California law does not require employers to provide employees with paid days off for holidays or to give “holiday pay” for working on holidays.
It’s entirely up to California employers to decide whether to offer their employees a paid or unpaid holiday for Juneteenth or any other holiday.
