Free Public Holiday Pay Calculator for New Zealanders
If you work on a public holiday that would otherwise have been a working day, you are entitled to time-and-a-half pay PLUS an alternative day off (a day in lieu) at ordinary pay.
Your shift
Based on $32/hr and 8 hours worked.
About our Public Holiday Pay Calculator
NZ has 11 public holidays a year. Working one of them, when it would otherwise have been a working day, doubles up: time-and-a-half on the hours worked, plus an alternative day off later at ordinary pay. The combined effect is roughly 2.5 times the ordinary daily pay.
How to use it
Enter your hourly rate and the hours worked on the public holiday. The calculator returns the time-and-a-half pay, the value of the day-in-lieu, and the combined gross.
Why use it
For verifying public-holiday pay calculations on a payslip, especially in hospitality, retail, and healthcare where weekend and public-holiday work is common. Many workers under-count public-holiday entitlement by missing either the time-and-a-half or the day-in-lieu component.
The maths behind it
Public holiday pay = Hours worked × Rate × 1.5 + Alternative day at OWP NZ workers who work on a public holiday that would otherwise have been a working day are entitled to time-and-a-half pay for the hours worked, PLUS an alternative day off (a "day in lieu") at their ordinary pay. Workers who do not work the public holiday but would otherwise have done so receive their ordinary daily pay. The 11 NZ public holidays are: New Year’s Day, 2 January, Waitangi Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, King’s Birthday, Matariki, Labour Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day.
Worked example
Adrian, hospitality manager in Russell, working 8 hours on Waitangi Day at $32/hour.
Waitangi Day (6 February) falls on a Friday, which is one of Adrian’s normal working days. He works the full 8-hour shift at his usual hourly rate.
Time-and-a-half pay: 8 × $32 × 1.5 = $384 for the day’s work. Plus an alternative day in lieu, paid at his ordinary 8-hour day ($256) when he takes it.
Total value of working the public holiday: $640 (the $384 worked + $256 day-in-lieu when taken). His ordinary daily pay would have been $256, so the public-holiday premium adds $384 of value.
Things to keep in mind
- "Otherwise a working day" test. Time-and-a-half + day-in-lieu only applies if the public holiday falls on a day that would otherwise have been a working day for that employee. Casual workers without a regular pattern may not pass the test for some holidays.
- Day in lieu is taken later. The alternative day off can be taken at any later mutually agreed date. Some employees accumulate several day-in-lieu balances over a year.
- 11 public holidays. NZ has 11 statutory public holidays each year, including Matariki (added in 2022). Anniversary days (regional) are public holidays in their respective regions.
- Mondayisation. Public holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday move to the following Monday for staff who do not normally work weekends. This affects Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, 2 January, Waitangi Day, and ANZAC Day in some years.
NZ-specific notes
FAQs
Do casual workers get time-and-a-half?
Yes, if the public holiday falls on a day they would otherwise have worked. The "otherwise a working day" test is harder for casuals without a regular pattern; if the test fails, time-and-a-half does not apply.
Is the day-in-lieu paid out if I do not take it?
Day-in-lieu balances are paid out as part of final pay when employment ends, at ordinary daily pay. They cannot be cashed up while you remain employed (unlike annual leave, of which one week per year can be cashed up).
What is Mondayisation?
Public holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday move to the following Monday for staff who do not normally work weekends. Christmas Day on a Saturday becomes a Monday holiday; the Saturday is treated as a normal day.
Are anniversary days public holidays?
Yes, in their respective region. Auckland Anniversary, Wellington Anniversary, Otago Anniversary, etc. are full public holidays for workers in those regions, with the same time-and-a-half plus day-in-lieu rules.
References & sources
- Employment NZ, "Public holidays". employment.govt.nz
- Employment NZ, "Public holidays and anniversary dates". employment.govt.nz
- Employment NZ, "Mondayisation of public holidays". employment.govt.nz
- Inland Revenue, "Payday filing". ird.govt.nz