Under a new law signed by Governor Chet Culver this year, 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.
House File 2197 gives employers the discretion of providing the time off as either paid or unpaid. Assuming the employer has timely notified the employee of their right to have the day off, 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.