Everyone
When a public holiday falls on a weekend
When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, an employee’s public holiday may be moved to the following Monday – or in some cases Tuesday.
What is Mondayisation?
Some public holidays fall on a specific day of the week – for example, Labour Day is always on a Monday, and Matariki is observed on a Friday.
Other public holidays are linked to calendar dates, so the day of the week on which they are celebrated can change. These are:
- New Year’s Day (1 January)
- the day after New Year’s Day (2 January)
- Waitangi Day (6 February)
- ANZAC Day (25 April)
- Christmas Day (25 December), and
- Boxing Day (26 December).
When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, for the benefit of those who do not normally work on the weekend, it is moved to the following Monday (or in some cases Tuesday). This is called ‘Mondayisation’.
What this means for employees
If an employee normally works:
- Monday to Friday, the public holiday will be ‘Mondayised’ and their public holiday entitlements will apply to the Monday (or Tuesday) following the calendar date of the public holiday
- on the day of the public holiday’s calendar date, their public holiday entitlements apply to the calendar date
- on both the calendar date of the public holiday and the Mondayisation date, their public holiday is on the calendar date; they do not get two public holidays.
If the employee does not have a clear work pattern, or there is a lot of variation in their work times, they will need to agree with their employer if a public holiday is a day they would otherwise be working.
Mondayisation does not affect shop trading restrictions – these always apply on the calendar date of the holiday.
Find out if a public holiday is mondayised
Answer each question below to find out if a public holiday is mondayised for an employee.
Employee entitlements
The scenarios below show the minimum entitlements for an employee when a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
This table shows the minimum entitlements for a public holiday falling on a Saturday. Check employment agreements for any extra entitlements.
| Does the employee normally work Saturday? | Does the employee normally work Monday? | Minimum entitlement |
| No | Yes |
Holiday is Mondayised. If the employee worked on Saturday but not Monday: The employee would be paid their normal rate for working Saturday. They would be provided a paid day off on Monday and would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If the employee worked on Monday but not Saturday: They would be paid time and half for working on Monday and get an alternative holiday for working Monday. If they worked both days: They would be paid their normal rate for working Saturday and time and a half for working Monday. They would also get an alternative holiday for working Monday. If they worked neither day: They would get a paid day off on Monday and be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay. |
| No | No |
Holiday is Mondayised. If they worked on Saturday but not Monday: They would be paid their normal rate for working Saturday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked on Monday but not Saturday: They would be paid time and a half for working Monday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked both days: They would be paid their normal rate for working Saturday and time and a half for working Monday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked neither day: They would not get any public holiday related payment for Saturday or Monday, or an alternative holiday. |
| Yes | Yes |
Holiday is not Mondayised. If they worked on Saturday but not Monday: They would be paid time and a half for working Saturday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Monday but not Saturday: They would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked both days: They would be paid time and a half for working Saturday and get an alternative holiday. They would be paid their normal rate for working Monday. If they worked neither day: They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay for a day off on Saturday. |
| Yes | No |
Holiday is not Mondayised. If they worked on Saturday but not Monday: They would be paid time and a half for working Saturday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Monday but not Saturday: They would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked both days: They would be paid time and a half for working Saturday and get an alternative holiday. They would be paid their normal rate for working Monday. If they worked neither day: They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay for a day off on Saturday. |
This table shows minimum entitlements when Waitangi Day or ANZAC Day falls on a Sunday.
| Does the employee normally work Sunday? | Does the employee normally work Monday? | Minimum entitlement |
| No | Yes |
Holiday is Mondayised. If they worked on Sunday but not Monday: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday. They would have the day off on Monday and be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked on Monday but not Sunday: They would be paid time and a half for working on Monday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked both days: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday and time and a half for working Monday. They would also get an alternative holiday for working Monday. If they worked neither day: They would be provided a paid day off on Monday and be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay. |
| No | No |
Holiday is Mondayised. If they worked on Sunday but not Monday: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday. They would not get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Monday but not Sunday: They would be paid time and a half for working Monday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked both days: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday and be paid time and a half for working Monday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked neither day: They would not get any payment for Sunday or Monday. They would not get an alternative holiday. |
| Yes | Yes |
Holiday is not Mondayised. If they worked on Sunday but not Monday: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Monday but not Sunday: They would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked both days: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an alternative holiday. They would be paid their normal rate for working Monday. If they worked neither day: They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay and have a day off work on Sunday. Their entitlement to any pay for having Monday off would depend on the reason for having that day off. |
| Yes | No |
Holiday is not Mondayised. If they worked on Sunday but not Monday: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Monday but not Sunday: They would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked both days: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an alternative holiday. They would be paid their normal rate for working Monday. If they worked neither day: They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay, for a day off on Sunday. |
This table shows minimum entitlements when Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day or January 2nd falls on a Sunday.
| Does the employee normally work Sunday? | Does the employee normally work Tuesday? | Minimum entitlement |
| No | Yes |
Holiday is 'Tuesdayised' because there are 2 public holidays in a row. If they worked on Sunday but not Tuesday: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday. They would have the day off on Tuesday and would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked on Tuesday but not Sunday: They would be paid time and half for working on Tuesday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked both days: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday and time and a half for working Tuesday. They would also get an alternative holiday for working Tuesday. If they do not work on either day: They would get a paid day off on Tuesday. They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay. |
| No | No |
Holiday is Tuesdayised because there are 2 public holidays in a row. If they worked on Sunday but not Tuesday: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked on Tuesday and not Sunday: They would be paid time and a half for working Tuesday. They would not get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked both days: They would be paid their normal rate for working Sunday and paid time and a half for working Tuesday. They would not get an alternative holiday. If they worked neither day: They would not get any payment for Sunday or Tuesday. They would not get an alternative holiday. |
| Yes | Yes |
Holiday is not Tuesdayised. If they worked on Sunday but not Tuesday: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Tuesday but not Sunday: They would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked both days: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an alternative holiday. They would be paid their normal rate for working Tuesday. If they worked neither day: They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay and have a day off work on Sunday. Their entitlement to any pay in having Tuesday off would depend on the reason for having that day off. |
| Yes | No |
Holiday is not Tuesdayised. If they worked on Sunday but not Tuesday: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an An alternative holiday is a day where someone can take a paid day off from work to make up for working on a public holiday, when that public holiday fell on a day they would usually work. If they worked on Tuesday but not Sunday: They would be paid their Relevant daily pay means the pay an employee would have been paid if they had been working on the day concerned. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. Average daily pay is a way of determining what an employee should be paid on a day that they would have otherwise worked but didn’t. It is used to calculate payment for public holidays, alternative holidays, sick leave, family violence leave and bereavement leave. If they worked both days: They would be paid time and a half for working Sunday and get an alternative holiday. They would be paid their normal rate for working Tuesday. If they worked neither day: They would be paid their relevant daily pay or average daily pay, for a day off on Sunday. |
Sarah has a part-time job at a service station. She normally works on a Saturday, and 25 December is on this occasion a Saturday. The service station opens on Christmas Day. The Christmas Day public holiday won’t be Mondayised for Sarah because 25 December is a normal working day for her. She will get either:
- 25 December as a day off on her relevant daily pay or average daily pay, or
- she can work on 25 December and be paid at a rate of at least time and a half for the hours she works. She will also get an alternative holiday (day in lieu).
If Sarah works on Monday 27 December, she:
- will be paid for the hours she works at whatever rate she would normally be paid for working on a Monday, and
- will not receive an alternative holiday for working on Monday 27 December because this is a normal Monday for Sarah.
Pita also works at the service station. He works full-time and normally works Monday to Friday. 25 December is a Saturday, which is not a normal working day for Pita, so the Christmas Day holiday is Mondayised for him. He will either:
- have Monday as a day off on his relevant daily pay or average daily pay, or
- he can work on Monday and get at least time and a half for the hours he works and also get an alternative holiday.
Pita will not get any payments (or an alternative holiday) in relation to Saturday 25 December unless he works on that day.
If Pita did work on Saturday 25 December, because Saturday is not a normal working day for him, he would:
- be paid for the hours he does at whatever rate he would be paid for any other Saturday he worked, and
- not get an alternative holiday for working on Saturday 25 December. Pita’s employer should explain this to him before Pita agrees to work on 25 December, so that he understands that he would not be paid at time and a half and would not get an alternative holiday for working on 25 December.