Why does the federal government use 2087 hours instead of 2080 when calculating biweekly pay?

Question

In a calendar year, there are 2080 work hours (assuming one works 40 hour work weeks). But in some cases, 2087 hours is used to calculate biweekly pay. (i.e., annual salary divided by 2087 to get the hourly rate and multiply this by 80 to get the biweekly pay). Where does the 7 hours come from and when are they worked?

Answer 1

how about paid holidays, they get alot of holidays.

Answer 2

Our freedoms have taken a beating. Unfortunately, from some of the responses you have gotten, you can see how brainwashed most of the people are, they don't even realize that their constitution has been circumvented and their individual rights are being violated. The powerful interests that control this country and government have successfully divided the people along party lines, classic 'divide and conquer' stratagem. Both parties are mirror images of each other and are tied together by powerful interests. There will either be a revolt (doubtful), massive support for a third party (like libertarians) or (likely) we will just continue to sink into a quagmire of more government control, intrusion, and diminishing freedom. Our individual sovereignty will continue to erode, all under the pretext of 'the common good', until prosperity and creativity grind to a halt.

Answer 3

If you go through the calendar, the 2088 is actually the correct figure for calculating semi-monthly pay. The 2080 is calculated by the assumption of 52 weeks at 40 hours/week. This would be accurate for bi-weekly as well. However, semi-monthly doesn't quite work out that way, due to the various numbers of work days in each month.

So, I'm not sure why they'd be using 2088 for bi-weekly, but it would make sense for semi-monthly.

Answer 4

A General Accounting Office study published in 1981 demonstrated that over a 28-year period (the period of time it takes for the calendar to repeat itself) there are, on average, 2,087 work hours per calendar year. This average results from the fact that there are usually 4 years with 262 workdays (2,096 hours), 17 years with 261 workdays (2,088 hours), and 7 years with 260 workdays (2,080 hours). The 2,087 divisor is derived from the following formula: (2,096 hours*4 years) + (2,088 hours*17 years) + (2,080 hours*7 years) / 28 years = 2,087.143 hours. Using 2,087 as the average number of work hours in a calendar year reasonably accommodates the year-to-year fluctuations in work hours.

Answer 5

Paid Breaks/lunches?

Answer 6

Leap Year?