Iowa Veterans Day Off Law Reminder

 Iowa employers are required to provide holiday time off for employees who are veterans on Veterans Day, November 11, if the employee would normally be required to work that day, under a law signed by Governor Chet Culver on April 27, 2010. House File 2197 gives employers the discretion of providing the time off as either paid or unpaid. Employees wishing to take the day off must provide the employer with at least one month's prior written notice of his or her intent to take time off for Veteran's Day and must also provide the employer with a federal certificate of release or discharge from active duty, or similar federal document, for purposes of determining the employee's eligibility for the benefit.

At least 10 days prior to Veterans Day, the employer must notify the employee if the employee will be given paid or unpaid time off on Veterans Day. The employer has discretion to provide paid or unpaid leave and also to determine if providing the time off would impact public health or safety or would cause the employer to experience significant economic or operational disruption. If an employer determines that it is unable to provide time off for Veterans Day for all the employees who request it, the employer is to deny the time off to the minimum number of employees needed for the employer to protect public health and safety or to maintain minimum operational capacity. (Source: This SHRM Online story is no longer available.)

Effective date: 4/27/10
Text of the measure
Iowa Code 91A.5A Holiday time off -- Veterans Day
Iowa Code Definition of Veteran

Additional Resources

Iowa vets have right to time off on Veterans Day
Our Quad Cities | Oct 2022

Miller reminds Iowa veterans of rights to time off on Veterans Day
CBS 2 Iowa | Oct 2022

Iowa Veterans Day Law  Part 1   Part 2   Part 3
Dickinson Law | 2010

New Required Holiday: Veteran's Day
Sullivan & Ward | Jul 2010

Are veterans entitled to time off on Veterans Day?
SHRM HRQA