Executive Order 11573—Excusing Federal Employees From Duty for One-Half Day on December 24, 1970

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. Employees of the several executive departments, independent establishments, and other governmental agencies, including the General Accounting Office and the Government Printing Office, and their field services (except those employees of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, or other agencies who in the judgment of their agency heads should be at their posts of duty for national security or other public reasons, and those employees whose absence from duty would be inconsistent with the provisions of existing law) shall be excused from duty for one-half day on Thursday, December 24, 1970, the day preceding Christmas Day. Such one- half day shall be considered a holiday within the meaning of Executive Order No. 10358 of June 9, 1952, as amended, and of all statutes so far as they relate to the compensation and leave of employees of the United States.

SEC. 2. The heads of departments, agencies, and independent establishments shall, to the extent consistent with the needs of the service, adopt a liberal policy for the granting of annual leave to all employees who wish to take such leave over the holiday period.

RICHARD NIXON

The White House

December 21, 1970