Federal employees enjoyed a Christmas Eve off from work in 2012... but they're not so lucky this year.



While millions of people are already at their holiday destinations, it's business as usual for federal workers.



The Office of Personnel Management announced Monday that federal employees should report to work Tuesday as usual.

That's been their standing policy when Christmas falls on a Wednesday, the OPM said. The government has remained open 6 of the last 9 times it's happened since 1946.

In 2012, just a few days before Christmas, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to give federal workers the day off. But that year, Christmas Eve fell on a Monday, which turned turn the holiday into a long weekend.

Then, there's the voices of the people to consider. Last year, a petition on WhiteHouse.gov collected more than 28,000 signatures from users who believed the Monday before Christmas should be a work holiday. A similar petition this year garnered just a fraction of that.