9 April 2026
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
As an employee, what are my entitlements in relation to Public Holidays?
Most employees are entitled to paid leave on public holidays. Full-time workers have immediate entitlement to benefit for public holidays and part-time workers have entitlement to benefit when they have worked a total of 40 hours in the previous 5 weeks. If you qualify for public holiday benefit, you are entitled to one of the following:
- A paid day off on the public holiday
- An additional day of annual leave
- An additional day’s pay
- A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
You can ask your employer at least 21 days before a public holiday, which of the alternatives will apply. If your employer does not respond at least 14 days before the public holiday, you are entitled to take the actual public holiday as a paid day off.
As a part-time worker, what is my entitlement to in relation to Public Holidays?
If you work for your employer for at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday and it falls on a day you normally work, you get paid for the day even if you don’t work. If you have to work that day, you are entitled to an extra day’s pay.
If you don’t normally work on a certain day but it’s a public holiday, you should get paid one-fifth of your weekly pay. Even if you never work on public holidays, you still get paid a fifth of your weekly pay as compensation for the public holiday. Again, you must have worked for your employer for at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday.
Time spent on annual leave counts as ‘time worked’ when calculating the 40 hours worked in the 5 weeks before the public holiday
What is my entitlement if the public holidays falls on a weekend?
If the public holiday falls on a day which is not a normal working day for that business (for example, on Saturday or Sunday), you are still entitled to benefit for that public holiday. However, you do not have any automatic legal entitlement to have the next working day off work.
Is Good Friday a public holiday?
Good Friday is not a public holiday. While some schools and businesses close on that day, you have no automatic entitlement to time off work on that day.
What can I do if I am not getting my public holiday entitlement?
If you are not getting your public holiday entitlement, you should discuss this with your employer.
You can also complain to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) under the Organisation of Working Time Act. You must make your complaint using the WRC’s online complaint form within 6 months of the dispute or complaint occurring.
Further information on this and other topics is available from Cork City Centre CIC in Cornmarket Street, open to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.45am to 12.30pm and Wednesdays from 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6950 (Lines open Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm). Blackpool CIC is also open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel 0818 07 6890 while Hollyhill CIC is open Mondays and Fridays from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Tel: 0818 07 6850.
Information is also available from the Citizens Information Phone Service Tel: 0818 07 4000 (9am – 8pm, Mon – Fri) or online at www.citizensinformation.ie