Need to know how to pay your employees for public holidays in 2026? You’re in the right place!
How do I work out how to pay my staff for public holidays?
To work out an employee’s statutory and public holidays entitlements, you need to know whether the day is an ‘otherwise working day’ for the employee. Basically, is it a day that they would normally have worked, if it were not a public holiday?
If the public holiday falls on an ‘otherwise working day’ for your employee, you are required either to:
- give them a paid day off; or
- pay time and a half and give them an alternative day off.
If the public holiday is not an otherwise working day but the employee works, you need to pay them time and a half, but you are not required to provide a day in lieu of the public holiday.
In many cases it’s easy to work out whether or not an employee would otherwise have worked on the day in question because the working pattern or roster is constant and the two of you can easily agree about whether the employee would otherwise have worked that day or not. However, if it’s unclear, then you must try to reach agreement with your employee. In doing so, you both need to consider all of the following factors:
- what the employment agreement says
- the employee’s usual work patterns
- any other relevant factors such as:
- if the employee works for the employer only when work is available
- the employer’s rosters or other similar systems
- the reasonable expectations of the employer and employee as to whether the employee would have worked on that day
- if the employee would normally have worked if it wasn’t a holiday (public or alternative) or if the employee was not on leave (sick or bereavement).
You can’t take an employee off the roster on a public holiday when it’s a day that he or she would otherwise have worked on, in order to avoid remunerating the employee public holiday pay. Not recognising an employee’s holiday entitlements is against the law.
Do I need to pay time and a half and give my employees a day in lieu if they work Easter Sunday?
Generally, no. Because Easter Sunday is not a public holiday, there is no legal obligation to pay time and a half and/or offer a day in lieu. But, some employers do this anyway, as an act of good faith. It’s also a good idea to check your individual employment contracts for any entitlements that may be over and above minimum entitlements.
If your store is not open on Easter Sunday, you do not need to pay your employees, unless their employment agreement says you must. Generally, employees can take the day as annual leave if it is a normal working day for them, but some employers may choose to provide a paid day off.
How do Mondayised public holidays work in NZ?
Sometimes a public holiday falls on a weekend and is “Mondayised” (or occasionally Tuesdayised). This means some employees will observe the public holiday on the next working day instead of on the actual calendar date.
Whether a public holiday is Mondayised for an employee depends on their usual work pattern. If they would normally work on the Saturday or Sunday that the public holiday falls on, that day remains their public holiday. If they would not normally work that weekend day, but would normally work on the Monday, their entitlement generally moves to the Monday instead.
Importantly, an employee can only receive one public holiday entitlement for the same holiday. They receive their entitlement on either the actual date or the observed (Mondayised) date, never both.
In 2026, both Anzac Day and Boxing Day fall on weekend days and may be Mondayised for some employees. 2 January 2027 also falls on a Saturday and may be Mondayised for some employees.
For a detailed explanation, examples, and guidance on working out entitlements when a public holiday falls on a weekend, see our article on Mondayisation.
If you’re still not sure you can contact us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0800 472 472 (1800 128 086 from Australia). Retail NZ members have free use of our Advice Service.
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Updated September 2026.
