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Public Holidays and employee entitlements

ANSWER ID:23033

 

In accordance with the Holidays Act 2003, every employee is entitled to no less than 11 Public Holidays each year. These should be paid when they fall on a day that an employee would normally have worked.

This includes all employees, regardless of whether they are full-time, part-time, or casual.

Unless the employment agreement provides for other days, or the employee and employer concerned agree to other days, the 11 public holidays are:

  • Christmas Day

  • Boxing Day

  • New Year s Day

  • January 2nd

  • Waitangi Day

  • Good Friday

  • Easter Monday

  • Anzac Day

  • Queen s Birthday

  • Labour Day

  • the anniversary of the province in which the employee is employed.

If the holiday falls on a weekend and your employee doesn't normally work on the weekend, the holiday is transferred to the following Monday or Tuesday so that the employee still gets a paid day off, if they usually work these days. For more information regarding Public Holidays go to the

Department of Labour website

.

Payment for Statutory Holidays

Payment for a public holiday is as follows:

  • If an employee works on a Public Holiday and it is their normal working day they are entitled to ORD 1.5 (Time and a half) for the time they actually work on that day, plus an "Alternative Holiday" (Day in Lieu).

  • If an employee works on a Public Holiday and it is not their normal working day they are entitled to ORD 1.5 (Time and a half) for the time they actually work, but they are not entitled to a "Alternative Holiday" (Day in Lieu).

  • If an employee does not work on a Public Holiday but it is their normal working day they are entitled to STAT hours for the time they would have normally worked at their relevant daily pay rate.

    Note: Holiday Act changes 1 April 2011 has more information on "Relevant Daily Pay".

  • If an employee does not work on a Public Holiday and it is not their normal working day they are not entitled to be paid for it.Note: For more information regarding statutory holiday entitlements, go to the Department of Labour website.

See our support note

Statutory (public) holiday payments

for processing the payments required for Statutory Holidays (Public Holidays) through Payroll