Working the holidays in Nevada: what you're owed for holiday shifts
In plain words: no Nevada or federal law requires extra pay for working Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's, or paid time off for them. That comes only from your employer's policy or a union contract. What the law does guarantee on a holiday shift is the same as any day: minimum wage, overtime, breaks and your tips, and you can file a wage claim when they're missing.
What the law requires, and what it leaves to your employer
- At least $12.00 an hour
- Overtime at 1½ times your regular rate (see below)
- A paid 10-minute break per 4 hours; a 30-minute meal period in an 8-hour shift
- All your tips; your employer can't keep any or count them toward minimum wage (NRS 608.160)
- Holiday premium pay, like time and a half for Christmas
- Paid holidays off
- The federal wage law doesn't require pay for time not worked, such as holidays; that's a matter of agreement (U.S. Department of Labor)
If your employer promised holiday pay
A promise in a handbook, offer letter, policy or contract is what makes holiday pay owed. Save a copy of it now, along with your schedule for the holiday weeks. If the promised pay doesn't show on your stub, ask in writing and keep the reply. If it still isn't paid, use the wage claim steps further down this page.
Overtime on long holiday shifts
- Overtime for hours over 8 in a 24-hour period
- And for hours over 40 in a work week
- Exception: you agreed to four 10-hour days, and the schedule holds
- Overtime only for hours over 40 in a work week
- A double shift on Christmas alone doesn't trigger it
Who daily and weekly overtime doesn't cover
- Workers whose union contract sets its own overtime terms
- Bona fide executive, administrative and professional employees
- Commission-paid retail and service workers who earn over 1½ times minimum wage, with more than half of pay from commission
- Taxi and limousine drivers, and local delivery drivers paid by the trip
- Businesses with under $250,000 a year in gross sales
The full list is in NRS 608.018(3). A salary alone doesn't make you exempt.
Casino, hotel and union workers
- Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 members: holiday pay, holiday scheduling and seniority are set by your contract
- Ask your shop steward, or start at culinaryunion226.org (Your Contract)
- A contract can set its own overtime terms (NRS 608.018(3)(e))
- Nevada's break rule and paid-leave law don't apply to workers covered by a union contract (NRS 608.019(3), 608.0197(6))
Paid leave for the holidays
Private employers with 50 or more workers in Nevada must give at least 0.01923 hours of paid leave per hour worked, about 40 hours a year at full time. You can use it from your 90th day on the job, without giving a reason, with notice as soon as practicable. The employer may cap use at 40 hours a year. The law doesn't cover temporary, seasonal or on-call workers (NRS 608.0197).
If you weren't paid right: file a wage claim
- 3340 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89102
- (702) 486-2650
- Nevada minimum wage: every pay rule, penalties, and suing
- Free legal help for a wage case
- Holiday job search: seasonal jobs in Las Vegas
Read 2026-11-05: NRS 608.018, 608.019, 608.0197, 608.140 and 608.160 on leg.state.nv.us; the Nevada Labor Commissioner's Frequently Asked Questions (rev. 4/2026), forms page and Contact Us page; the U.S. Department of Labor's Holidays page; culinaryunion226.org.