Public holiday staffing cost calculator: open or close on the day
Opening on a public holiday costs at least time and a half for every hour worked, an alternative holiday for each person whose usual working day it is, and a paid day off for anyone off on their usual day. Type who works, their hours and rates, and who would usually work. The calculator compares the cost of opening with the cost of closing.
Worked out for the example. Change the boxes to make it yours.
| Mei: 8 hours at $42.00, plus an alternative holiday | $336.00 |
|---|---|
| Josh: 6 hours at $37.50, not their usual day | $225.00 |
| Tama: 7.5 hours at $39.75, plus an alternative holiday | $298.13 |
| Lena: 5 hours at $36.75, plus an alternative holiday | $183.75 |
| Pay for hours worked at time and a half | $1,042.88 |
| Of which, above the ordinary rate | $347.63 |
| Alternative holidays owed: 3 (paid days off later) | $618.75 |
| Paid day off for 2 people whose usual day it is | $432.00 |
| Employer KiwiSaver: 3.5% and ACC at $0.48 per $100 | $83.33 |
| Cost of the day if you open | $2,176.95 |
| Cost of the day if you close | $1,092.57 |
| Extra cost of opening | $1,084.38 |
| Extra cost for each hour worked | $40.92 |
- Relevant daily pay is what the person would have earned that day. It is worked here as their usual hours times their ordinary rate; if regular overtime, commission or allowances would have been paid that day, add them to the rate.
- An alternative holiday is a whole paid day off later, whatever hours were worked on the public holiday, so its cost is the usual day's pay. It is exchanged for pay only if the employee asks after 12 months and you agree, or paid out when they leave.
- Whether a day is someone's usual day follows their agreement, roster and work pattern. Anyone who would usually work any time that day counts.
Team timesheets shows the hours staff choose to share, by person, project and task, with a CSV ready for payroll. Optional approvals, billable and private cost rates, hours budgets and team invoices are all included in the seat. It never reads the pay or rates in anyone's own account.
See Team timesheetsWhat the Holidays Act asks on a public holiday
Three rules set the cost. Someone who works any part of a public holiday is paid at least time and a half for the time worked (section 50 of the Holidays Act 2003), worked on their relevant daily pay or average daily pay without penal rates, or your agreement's higher rate. If the day is an otherwise working day for them, they also earn an alternative holiday (section 56): a whole paid day off later, whatever hours they worked (section 57). Someone who would usually work that day but is not rostered is paid their relevant daily pay for the day off (section 49). A day that is not someone's usual working day earns them no payment unless they work it.
How the calculator works it out
Pay for the day is each person's hours times their ordinary rate times your public holiday rate. Each alternative holiday is valued at the person's usual hours that day times their rate, because section 60 pays it at relevant daily pay when it is taken. The day off for staff not rostered is their usual hours times their rate. Closing costs the paid day off for everyone whose usual day it is, workers included. The difference is what opening costs over closing, before anything the day earns. KiwiSaver and ACC go on all of it, because public holiday pay is part of gross pay. Our public holiday pay calculator works out one person's pay in more detail.
Dates and edge cases
New Zealand has 11 national public holidays and a regional anniversary day (section 44). Labour Day 2026 is Monday 26 October. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday and Boxing Day a Saturday: for anyone who does not usually work Saturdays, Boxing Day moves to Monday 28 December (section 45). A night shift that crosses midnight into or out of a public holiday can, by written agreement, be treated as one 24-hour holiday (section 44A). Whether a day is someone's usual day follows their agreement, roster and work pattern (section 12). Our article on Christmas and New Year public holidays for employers covers the summer run.
From 6 August 2028
The Employment Leave Act 2026 replaces the Holidays Act on 6 August 2028. Each hour worked on a public holiday is then paid at the agreement's rate for the hour, less any identifiable extra amount for the day, plus the greater of 50% of the ordinary hourly rate or that extra amount (section 121), and alternative leave builds hour for hour worked on an otherwise working day rather than as a whole day (section 63). On a short shift the alternative leave, and so the cost of opening, will be smaller. Our article on the Employment Leave Act changes sets out the rest.
Questions
How much does it cost to open on a public holiday in NZ?
At least time and a half for every hour worked, plus an alternative holiday, a paid day off later, for each person whose usual working day it is, plus a paid day off for anyone not rostered on their usual day. Closing still costs the paid day off for everyone whose usual working day it is, and for those who work, the alternative holiday takes the place of that day. So the extra cost of opening is the pay for the hours worked at time and a half, with KiwiSaver and ACC on it.
Do I have to pay staff who are not working on a public holiday?
Yes, if it is a day they would usually work: they are paid their relevant daily pay for the day off. If it is not one of their usual days, nothing is owed.
Does a part-day on a public holiday earn a whole alternative holiday?
Yes. Under section 57 of the Holidays Act 2003, an alternative holiday is a whole working day off, regardless of how long the person worked on the public holiday, as long as it was an otherwise working day for them.
Can I pay out alternative holidays instead?
Only if the employee asks, after 12 months have passed, and you agree, or when they leave. Otherwise the alternative holiday is taken as a day off on a day you agree, or that you set on a reasonable basis with 14 days' notice.
Is double time required on a public holiday in NZ?
No. The law sets at least time and a half for the hours worked. An agreement can pay more, and the calculator takes your agreement's rate.
How do I keep a record of who worked the public holiday?
Team timesheets at jobtracker.co.nz shows the hours staff choose to share, by person, project and task, for any day, with a CSV ready for payroll. It does not work out holiday pay or keep alternative holiday balances; your payroll does.
Sources
- Holidays Act 2003.
- Employment New Zealand: public holiday pay.
- Employment New Zealand: alternative holidays.
- Employment New Zealand: public holidays and anniversary dates.
- Employment New Zealand: managing public holidays as an employer.
- Inland Revenue: employer contributions to KiwiSaver schemes and complying funds.
- business.govt.nz: ACC levies.
- Accident Compensation (Work Account Levies) Regulations 2025, Schedule 2: rates for 2026/27.
- Minimum Wage Order 2026 (SL 2026/16).
- Employment Leave Act 2026, in force 6 August 2028.
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