We generally declare ourselves closed for Christmas (1 day), Easter (1
day), Thanksgiving (2 days), Labor Day (1 day), and 4th of July. Staff
are not required to work on these days. If the 4th falls on a weekend
(like it did this year), the staff gets to choose whether to take Friday
or Monday off, knowing that we have to be fully open on both Friday or
Monday.  All other holidays (i.e., Columbus Day) are open.  Staff gets
to choose one "floating" holiday each year for their own religious or
other purposes.

I like the idea of requiring the staff to work on the holiday if you are
open, and paying them for it, but allowing them to take a compensatory
day off at their next opportunity, just not all staff at once. I believe
in hour-for-hour compensatory time, however--if it impedes coverage, ask
them to take it a half-day at a time.  I also like the idea of arranging
flexible schedules so that your open hours are covered but staff don't
find themselves working 65 hours in one week to cover events. Also, how
about alternating who works the events so that the same people (the ones
who are assigned to work weekends and holidays) don't find themselves
always covering events.

A general comment:  Who says that 9-to-5 M-F is the way it has to be?
How about some staff working every other Saturday and taking their
"weekend" on Sunday/Monday?  I think museums should be at the forefront
of experimenting with these kinds of schedules in order to provide
maximum open hours for the communities they serve as well as needed
flexibility for their creative and devoted (and underpaid) staff.
Personally I wouldn't mind working the occasional (or even more than
occasional) Saturday or Sunday if I could get the following Monday or
the previous Friday off.  I could get a lot more personal stuff done
that normally I need to spend lunch hours on, and on the weekends the
phone doesn't ring as often!

Julia Moore
Indianapolis Art Center

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