Everyday NZ guide · New Zealand
Public Holidays During Annual Leave NZ
Understand when a New Zealand public holiday during annual leave should not use an annual-holiday day, including otherwise-working-day and pay questions.
Reviewed 26 August 2026
Reviewed by KiwiTools editorial team — NZ consumer researchers using government, regulator and provider sources
General information only. School-zone boundaries and enrolment schemes can change; verify the exact address with current Ministry and school information.
Key points
Public holidays inside annual leave
If a public holiday falls during annual leave on a day the employee would otherwise have worked, the day is treated as a public holiday rather than annual holiday.
If it is not an otherwise working day, public-holiday payment and leave treatment can differ.
Work patterns, Mondayisation and regional anniversary days must be checked before counting leave days.
A public holiday inside a week of annual leave
Assume Monday 26 October 2026 is Labour Day and Monday would otherwise be a working day. The employee requests Monday to Friday away.
| Check | Day type | Annual leave used? |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 26 October | Public holiday on an otherwise working day | No |
| Tuesday 27 October | Ordinary working day | Yes |
| Wednesday 28 October | Ordinary working day | Yes |
| Thursday 29 October | Ordinary working day | Yes |
| Friday 30 October | Ordinary working day | Yes |
A public holiday should not quietly eat a leave day
If a public holiday falls during booked annual holidays and it is a day the employee would otherwise have worked, that day is treated as a public holiday. It does not come off the annual-holiday balance.
For a Monday-to-Friday worker away during Labour Day week in 2026, Monday 26 October is the public holiday. Tuesday to Friday use four annual-holiday days. The week away is five working days long, but the leave balance falls by four.
The real question is whether the employee would have worked
A public holiday on a normal day off does not create an annual-leave saving merely because the employee is on holiday around it. Variable rosters require the ordinary “otherwise working day” assessment.
Look at the employment pattern, roster, agreement and reasonable expectations. A calendar alone cannot decide a genuinely irregular case.
Read the related maximise annual leave guideRead the related mondayisation nz public holidays guideRead the related regional anniversary days guide
Sickness during the break follows another rule
If an employee becomes sick before annual holidays begin, the parties deal with whether the time is sick leave. If sickness begins during annual holidays, changing those days generally requires agreement with the employer.
Keep the public-holiday and sick-leave questions separate. They can occur in the same trip, but the entitlement route is not the same.
Frequently asked questions
Does a public holiday count as annual leave in NZ?
Not when it falls during annual holidays on a day the employee would otherwise have worked; it is treated as a public holiday.
What if the holiday is not normally my workday?
Entitlement can differ because the otherwise-working-day test is central. Check the work pattern and official guidance.
Do I get both the weekend holiday and Mondayised day?
No. Transfer rules determine which day is treated as the public holiday for the employee.
Can a leave planner confirm my legal entitlement?
No. It can organise dates, while employment circumstances and official rules determine entitlement.
Put the guide into practice
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