Hawaii’s new governor has given out some early holiday gifts — two days of extra paid time off work — to thousands of state employees.

Gov. Josh Green on Friday, four days after taking office, announced in an internal executive memorandum to department heads and in an email to staff that all full-time salaried state employees will receive 16 hours of special administrative leave.

Many workers will have four-day weekends surrounding Christmas and New Year’s Day by receiving Friday Dec. 23 and Friday Dec. 30 off if their absence won’t disrupt necessary government functions. Employees who are needed or already have paid time off on those days will be given an alternate two days off up to Feb. 28.

The gift, which appears unusual for a new governor in Hawaii and affects tens of thousands of workers, was given as an expression of thanks to employees for their dedicated service and to welcome them to Green’s administration.

“With the holiday season upon us, it was important to me that I express my appreciation for your work to ensure that the State of Hawai‘i is the best that it can be,” Green said in the staff email.

In the memo to department heads, Green said, “In recognition of the loyal and faithful service of our public employees and in keeping with the holiday season, I am authorizing department heads to grant all salaried employees sixteen hours administrative leave.”

The paid leave is available to full-time salaried employees. Part-time salaried employees are to receive a proportionate amount of paid leave. Employees who are paid on an hourly basis, and those who are suspended or on leave without pay on Dec. 23 and 30, won’t receive two days of extra paid time off.

A spokesperson for Green said they believed that granting two extra days of holiday time off may be unprecedented for a Hawaii governor in recent history. State workers have 14 regular holidays this year.

Retired University of Hawaii political science professor Neal Milner said Green may be criticized by some members of the general public for giving state employees bonus paid time off for doing their jobs as usual, but should earn appreciation from those employees.

“It’s not going to be a popular (public) message,” Milner said, “but it’s a good message in the sense of saying our state workers for the most part are good people and hard workers.”

Green, who took office Dec. 5, also encouraged staff to support local businesses while shopping and dining during the holiday season.

“Small businesses form the backbone of our communities, shape the unique character of our state, and bring people together,” he said in his memo. “May your holiday season end on a cheerful note and make way for a fresh and great start. I look forward to working with all of you to move Hawai‘i forward.”