How do Mondayised public holidays work in NZ?
Sometimes public holidays in New Zealand are Mondayised or Tuesdayised. This means when the calendar date of the public holiday falls on a weekend day, the holiday is transferred to the nearest Monday (or in some cases, Tuesday).
When a public holiday falls on a weekend and is “Mondayised”, the first step is to determine whether the employee would normally work on the actual calendar date.
When the public holiday is the employee’s normal working day
If an employee would normally work on the Saturday or Sunday that the public holiday falls on, that day remains their public holiday. If they work, they are entitled to time and a half and an alternative holiday. If they do not work, they are entitled to paid public holiday pay (stat pay).
In these situations, the Mondayised day is not treated as a public holiday for that employee, even if they would normally work on a Monday.
When the public holiday is not the employee’s normal working day
If an employee would not normally work on the Saturday or Sunday, but would normally work on the Monday, their public holiday entitlement moves to the Monday instead. If they do not work on the Monday, they receive paid public holiday pay. If they work, they are entitled to time and a half and an alternative holiday.
The important point to remember is that an employee can only receive one public holiday entitlement for the same holiday. They receive their entitlement on either the actual calendar date or the Mondayised date, never both.
Restricted trading and Mondayisation
Occasionally, a public holiday can be both Mondayised and subject to separate trading restrictions. A recent example was Anzac Day 2026, when it fell on a Saturday.
While some employees observed the public holiday on the following Monday, the shop trading restrictions did not move. The restrictions continued to apply only on the actual calendar date of Anzac Day.
For most shops, trading restrictions applied until 1pm on Saturday 25 April. The following Monday was not a restricted trading day. It was simply the observed public holiday for employees whose entitlement had been Mondayised.
This highlights an important distinction: public holiday entitlements and shop trading restrictions do not always follow the same rules. When a public holiday is Mondayised, the employee’s entitlement may move, but any trading restrictions generally remain attached to the actual calendar date.
Read more about paying your staff over the upcoming public holidays.
If you have any questions, our Advice Service is here to help. Email us at [email protected], or give us a call on 0800 472 472 (1800 128 086 from Australia).
