NZ Public Holiday Pay Calculator
Find out what you’ll earn for working a public holiday, whether you’re owed a day in lieu, and what you’re paid if you take the day off. Based on the Holidays Act 2003.
Christmas Day, Fri, 25 Dec 2026
Your pay for the public holiday
$336.00
- Same hours at your normal rate
- $224.00
- Extra for working the holiday (the “half”)
- +$112.00
You also get a paid day in lieu, worth about $224.00 when you take it.
You normally work this day and you’re working the holiday, so you get at least time and a half for the hours you work, plus a paid alternative holiday (day in lieu) to take later.
Christmas Day can be Mondayised when it falls on a weekend. If you normally work that Saturday or Sunday, the holiday stays on the weekend day for you. More on Christmas Day
Estimate only. Your actual pay is based on your relevant daily pay, which can include regular allowances, overtime and commission, and your agreement may pay more.
How Public Holiday Pay Works
What you get depends on two things: whether the holiday falls on a day you would otherwise have worked, and whether you actually work it.
| Normally a working day? | You work it? | Pay | Day in lieu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | At least time and a half for hours worked | Yes — one paid day |
| Yes | No | A paid day off at your relevant daily pay | No |
| No | Yes | At least time and a half for hours worked | No |
| No | No | Nothing extra — it’s not a working day for you | No |
What counts as an “otherwise working day”?
It’s a day you would have worked if it weren’t a public holiday. If you work Monday to Friday, a Monday holiday is an otherwise working day. If you’re on a roster, it depends on whether you would have been rostered on. Things that help decide it include your employment agreement, your work pattern, and whether your employer would have needed you that day.
Worked examples
- Aroha earns $28 an hour and normally works Monday to Friday. She works 8 hours on Labour Day (a Monday): 8 × $28 × 1.5 = $336, plus a paid day in lieu worth $224.
- Sam earns $25 an hour and works weekends only. He works 6 hours on Labour Day, which isn’t one of his usual days: 6 × $25 × 1.5 = $225, but no day in lieu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get time and a half on a public holiday in NZ?+
Yes. If you work on a public holiday you must be paid at least time and a half for the hours you work. If your normal pay for those hours (including any penal rates in your agreement) is higher, you get that instead.
What is a day in lieu?+
A day in lieu, officially an alternative holiday, is a paid day off you earn when you work on a public holiday that would otherwise be a working day for you. It is paid at your relevant daily pay for the day you take it, based on the hours you would normally work that day.
Do casual workers get public holiday pay?+
It depends on whether the holiday is an otherwise working day for you. If you would have worked that day had it not been a public holiday (for example, you were rostered on or have a regular pattern of working that day), you get the same entitlements as other employees. If not, you only get time and a half if you actually work.
What if the public holiday falls on my day off?+
If the day is not one you would normally work, you do not get a paid day off or a day in lieu. For holidays that are Mondayised, check whether the weekend day or the Monday counts for you: it depends on which days you normally work.
Can my employer make me work on a public holiday?+
Only if your employment agreement says you can be required to work on public holidays. Otherwise, working the day is up to you.
Are the rules changing?+
The Employment Leave Act 2026 will replace the Holidays Act 2003 from 6 August 2028, moving to hours-based leave. Until then, the current Holidays Act rules used by this calculator apply.
This calculator gives an estimate based on an hourly rate. Your actual entitlement uses your relevant daily pay or average daily pay, which can include regular allowances, overtime and commission. For full rules, see Employment New Zealand.