NZ Public Holiday Pay Calculator

This calculator works out how much you should be paid for working on a New Zealand public holiday, or what you are owed if you have the day off instead, based on the Holidays Act 2003. You enter your normal hourly rate, the hours worked on the holiday, your normal hours for that day, whether you actually worked, whether it is an otherwise working day for you, and your employment type, permanent or casual. It returns your normal day pay for comparison, your holiday pay at time-and-a-half, the extra you earn above a normal day, and whether you are also owed an alternative paid day off. A breakdown shows your ordinary and time-and-a-half rates, the value of your alt day, and the total extra value of working the holiday against an ordinary shift. If you did not work, it shows whether you are still owed a normal day's pay for that day. It also lists all 12 NZ public holidays for the year, including Matariki and your provincial anniversary, and accounts for Mondayisation of Waitangi Day and Anzac Day on a weekend. Use it to check a payslip, plan rosters, or settle a pay query with an employer. Entitlements depend on your employment agreement and how relevant daily pay is worked out, so treat the result as an indicative guide rather than a final figure.

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Updated Holidays Act 2003. 12 statutory public holidays.

1. Your Pay Details

Normal hourly rate (gross)

$/hr

Hours worked on the public holiday

hours

Normal hours on this day (what you would usually work)

hours

2. Situation

Did you work on the public holiday?

Is this an otherwise working day for you?

Employment type

Your Public Holiday Pay

Normal Day Pay

$240.00

What you'd earn normally

Holiday Pay
$360.00
Time-and-a-half

Extra Earned

+$120.00

Above normal day rate

Alt Day

Yes

Alternative day off

Calculation Breakdown

Normal hourly rate$30.00/hr

Time-and-a-half rate$45.00/hr

Hours worked on holiday8 hours

Holiday pay (1.5x)$360.00

Normal day pay (comparison)$240.00

Extra earned vs normal day+$120.00

Alternative day offYes (full paid day)

Alt day value (at normal rate)$240.00

Total value of working the holiday+$360.00 vs not working

NZ Public Holidays 2026

New Year's Day1 January (Thu)

Day after New Year's2 January (Fri)

Waitangi Day6 February (Fri)

Good Friday3 April (Fri)

Easter Monday6 April (Mon)

Anzac Day25 April (Sat) - Mon 27 Apr

King's Birthday1 June (Mon)

Matariki10 July (Fri)

Labour Day26 October (Mon)

Christmas Day25 December (Fri)

Boxing Day26 December (Sat) - Mon 28 Dec

+ Provincial anniversaryVaries by region

Result: -

Public Holiday Pay in New Zealand

Under the Holidays Act 2003, there are 12 public holidays per year (11 national plus your provincial anniversary day). If you work on a public holiday, you are entitled to time-and-a-half (1.5 times your normal hourly rate) for all hours worked, plus a full alternative paid day off at another time.

If You Do Not Work

If a public holiday falls on a day you would normally work and you do not work, you are entitled to your relevant daily pay or average daily pay for that day. You are paid as if you had worked a normal day.

Mondayisation

Waitangi Day and Anzac Day are "Mondayised" if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday. If they fall on Saturday, the following Monday is the public holiday. If they fall on Sunday, the following Monday is the public holiday. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and the Day after New Year's Day have separate transfer rules (if they fall on a weekend, subsequent weekdays become the observed holidays for Mon-Fri workers).

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Sources: Holidays Act 2003 Part 2 (legislation.govt.nz). Employment New Zealand public holidays guidance (employment.govt.nz).

This calculator provides indicative estimates. Payment depends on your employment agreement, relevant daily pay, and whether the day is an otherwise working day for you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I get paid for working on a public holiday in NZ?

If you work on a public holiday, you are entitled to time-and-a-half (1.5x your normal hourly rate) for all hours worked, PLUS an alternative paid day off (alt day) to be taken at another time agreed with your employer. If you do not work on a public holiday that falls on a day you would normally work, you are entitled to your relevant daily pay or average daily pay for that day.

How many public holidays are there in NZ?

New Zealand has 12 public holidays per year: New Year's Day (1 Jan), Day after New Year's Day (2 Jan), Waitangi Day (6 Feb), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day (25 Apr), King's Birthday (first Monday in June), Matariki (date varies, set by the Matariki Advisory Committee), Labour Day (fourth Monday in October), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec), and your provincial anniversary day (varies by region).

What is Mondayisation?

Mondayisation applies to Waitangi Day and Anzac Day only. If either falls on a Saturday, the following Monday becomes the public holiday. If either falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the public holiday. This ensures employees who normally work Monday to Friday get a day off. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and the Day after New Year's Day have their own transfer rules instead of Mondayisation.

Can my employer refuse to give me an alternative day off?

No. If you work on a public holiday, your employer must provide an alternative paid day off. The timing should be agreed between you and your employer. If you cannot agree, the employer decides but must give reasonable notice. The alt day must be a full paid day off, regardless of how many hours you worked on the public holiday.

Do casual workers get public holiday pay in NZ?

Yes, if the public holiday falls on a day the casual employee would otherwise work and they have a reasonable expectation of working that day. If they work on the holiday, they get time-and-a-half plus an alternative day. If they do not work, they get paid if the holiday falls on an otherwise working day. Truly irregular casual workers with no pattern of work on that day are not entitled to the paid day off.