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Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed this year on Monday, January 18, 2021. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, which falls on January 15, the United States recognizes the Monday as a federal holiday. This means that many businesses are closed to give their employees the day off and a long weekend.
If you are expecting any package deliveries, you may be wondering if they’ll be delivered on MLK Day, or if you’ll have to wait until after the holiday to receive them. Here’s what you need to know:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Is 1 of 7 Paid Holidays for Amazon Employees
According to Amazon’s website, the company gives their employees 7 paid holidays annually. Amazon employees are offered paid time off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as well as New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. This means that Amazon packages will not be delivered by Amazon employess on MLK Day.
There are 10 federal holidays observed in the United States. The 3 for which Amazon employees do not have the day off are George Washington’s Birthday, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. Expect that Amazon’s delivery schedule will resume as usual on Tuesday, January 19.
On Amazon’s website, they assert to current and future employees that “Regular time away from work is essential for employees to recharge and renew. Employees earn paid time off in addition to company paid holidays.”
FedEx & UPS Are Open, With Modified Service on Some of Their Delivery Options
While Amazon is closed for MLK Day, both FedEx and UPS are open and delivering packages on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year. Some Amazon packages are delivered with the support of FedEx and UPS, so there is a possibility that you will receive your package on MLK Day if it is being transported and delivered by one of those carriers.
FedEx’s holiday schedule indicates that FedEx Office, Home Delivery, Freight, Office, Custom Critical, and Trade Networks are operating on a normal schedule and “open” in spite of the holiday. FedEx’s Express and SmartPost are operating on a modified schedule. This means there may be “early on-call and drop box pickups in some areas” and that “deliveries may be delayed due to USPS observation of holiday.”
UPS’s holiday schedule says that, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, “UPS® pickup and delivery services are available. Note that UPS SurePost® and UPS Mail Innovations® deliveries will require one additional business day’s time in transit due to the Federal (USPS) holiday.” They also say that UPS store locations will be open and UPS freight services are available.
For 2021, UPS says that the holidays they are closed for are New Year’s Day (Jan 1), Independence Day (July 4), Thanksgiving Day (Nov 25), and Christmas Day (Dec 25). On those days, UPS Express Critical® will still be available.
Future Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances fall on the following days:
– 2022: Monday, January 17
– 2023: Monday, January 16
– 2024: Monday, January 15
– 2025: Monday, January 20
– 2026: Monday, January 19
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