How to celebrate MLK Day at work: 15 meaningful ways to observe it
Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2027 is Monday, January 18, 2027. Here are 15 respectful ways to mark it, a timeline that starts in December and the do's and don'ts.
This guide covers how to celebrate Martin Luther King Day at work in a way that honors Dr. King's life and work: as a day of service, a day of learning, or both. It starts with the practical questions, the date and whether it's a paid holiday, then gives 15 ideas in three tracks depending on whether your office is closed, open or remote.
When is MLK Day 2027?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is the third Monday in January: Monday, January 18, 2027.
| Year | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Monday, January 18, 2027 |
| 2028 | Monday, January 17, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, January 15, 2029 |
| 2030 | Monday, January 21, 2030 |
| 2031 | Monday, January 20, 2031 |
The holiday in four lines
- November 2, 1983: President Ronald Reagan signed the law making the third Monday in January a federal holiday.
- January 20, 1986: the first national observance.
- August 23, 1994: the King Holiday and Service Act added support for national service on the holiday, the start of the MLK Day of Service.
- Every year: the third Monday in January, close to Dr. King's birthday on January 15, 1929.
Sources: Public Law 98-144, the King Holiday and Service Act of 1994 and OPM's federal holiday list.
Is MLK Day a paid holiday?
For federal employees, yes: it's one of the 11 federal holidays, and federal offices, the Federal Reserve and the stock markets close.
Private employers decide for themselves. The Department of Labor notes that federal wage law doesn't require pay for time not worked, holidays included. Four common options:
- Paid day off. The office closes, as federal offices do. Add a voluntary service project for anyone who wants one.
- Paid volunteer day. The day is paid, and people spend it serving. Offer a real alternative for anyone who can't.
- Floating holiday. People can take MLK Day or another day that matters to them.
- Open, with a program. Work goes on, with a learning session or protected hour during the day.
Whatever you choose, say it in the holiday calendar you publish in December, and give people who must work that day, such as support and shift teams, another time to take part.
How to celebrate Martin Luther King Day at work: 15 ideas
Three tracks, depending on how your office runs that day. Pick one or two ideas and do them well rather than all of them lightly.
A day of service
For an office that closes for the holiday or gives paid volunteer time.
- Team volunteer shift. Book a shift with a local food bank, shelter or school partner in December, with seated and remote roles so everyone can join.
- Paid volunteer time. Give each person paid hours to serve a cause they choose, on the day or that week.
- Skills-based project. A team spends the day on one job for a local nonprofit: a website fix, a budget model or a grant draft.
- Drive with a company match. Collect what one partner organization asks for during the week before, and the company matches it.
- Family service morning. Many schools are closed, so pick an activity kids can join too, such as assembling care kits or writing cards.
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service, leads the MLK Day of Service; check its MLK Day page for projects and resources.
Learning and reflection
For an office that stays open. Keep it to an hour or two, inside working hours.
- Read and discuss. Read one primary text in advance, such as "Letter from Birmingham Jail", and discuss it in small groups with three prepared questions.
- Facilitated session. Bring in a facilitator for an hour on equity and inclusion at work, open to everyone and not mandatory.
- Museum or historic site visit. Many civil rights museums and historic sites hold programs around the holiday; go as a group or share the link.
- A note from leadership. A short message on how the company is marking the day and what service it will do through the year, not a slogan.
- Protected hour. Clear meetings for an hour so people can read, listen to a recorded speech or join a local event.
For reading, the King Institute at Stanford introduces “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and links to Dr. King's papers.
Remote and hybrid teams
For teams spread across cities or time zones.
- Virtual volunteering. Online projects people can do from home, such as transcribing archives or mentoring students by video.
- Online reading group. One text for every location, then a video discussion in breakout rooms of five or six.
- Serve where you live. Each person volunteers near home, and the team shares one line about it in a channel afterward.
- Two sessions for two time zones. Run the discussion twice so nobody joins late at night.
- Reflection thread. Post one prompt in the team channel, such as "What would service look like for our team this year?", and let people answer in their own time.
More ideas in our virtual volunteer opportunities.
A planning timeline that starts in December
The holidays eat most of December, and MLK Day comes soon after them, so the planning starts before the year ends.
- Early December. Pick the track, confirm the holiday policy and reach out to a partner organization while it is still planning its holiday volunteers.
- Mid December. Announce the plan, open sign-ups and list an option for people who can't volunteer in person.
- Early January. Confirm the partner and logistics, share any reading, and brief whoever leads the discussion.
- The week before. Send a reminder with times and links, and start any donation drive.
- On the day. Leaders take part like everyone else, and someone notes what got done.
- The week after. Share a short recap and thank the organizers. Put the next service day and February's Black History Month plans on the calendar.
Do's and don'ts for MLK Day at work
Do
- Ask employees, and your employee resource groups if you have them, how they want to mark the day.
- Credit and pay for the organizing work, and spread it across volunteers.
- Offer a real alternative for anyone who works that day or can't volunteer.
- Link to the source for Dr. King's words rather than pasting long passages; his speeches and writings are under copyright.
- Keep going after January with service and learning through the year.
Don't
- Don't run sales, promotions or branded merchandise around the holiday.
- Don't frame it as a party or a fun day out.
- Don't ask Black colleagues to speak or lead unless they volunteer.
- Don't turn it into a trivia contest or a game.
- Don't post one quote and call it done.
Your employee resource groups are often the right people to ask first. Planning the other end-of-year dates too? See our inclusive holiday party ideas.
Keep it going into February
MLK Day opens a stretch of the year many teams use for learning. Two ways to carry it on, with someone else running the session.
- In January, a facilitated session such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Foundations: an hour on the core principles, with interactive exercises and real-life examples. More options on our DEI workshops page.
- In February, Black History Month: Black History Trivia & Games is a hosted hour on Black history, trailblazers and pivotal moments. See the Black History Month collection, our Black History Month ideas and Black History Month quotes.
- Both run live on Zoom by default, or Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request. Book about 2 weeks ahead.
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