Was paid on 1/10/08 for work from 12/30/07 to 01/05/08. Company gave 8 hours of holiday pay. Worked 37.5 hours during the week on top of this. Company paid entire time straight time, no OT. Is that even legal?

Yes. Overtime is legally a function of hours actually worked. Holiday pay is not hours worked.

The call center was closed, so he had no choice. He worked the days he was supposed to. In CA, this wouldn't fly. Such backwards laws around here that allow businesses to treat their employees like crap. Now he knows, when there's a holiday, don't do a damn thing extra.

In CA, this wouldn't fly.

Actually it would "fly" just fine. CA has exactly the same rules regarding overtime and holiday pay as everyone else.

Ah, then I guess that we've had employers that were more concerned with their employees welfare that honored "anything over 40 hours is overtime". Thanks for your rudeness ^__^

I don't see anything rude about DAW's response.

If he is getting holiday pay at all, he's getting more than the law requires. Absolutely nothing in the law of any state requires an employer to pay holiday pay or to pay overtime for time not worked; nor do I see any reason why they should.

Clarification: I completely agree with paying holiday pay; I see no reason why overtime should be paid on time paid but not worked.