Easter Holiday Information

This year, Good Friday falls on 6th April and Easter Monday on 9th April. These are both public holidays.

Employees who normally work on these days will receive a paid day off, and if required to work, will receive time and a half for the hours worked on those days, and an alternative holiday if the day is an otherwise working day for the employee.

Easter Sunday is NOT a public holiday. This means that there is no entitlement to a paid day off or time and a half for hours worked on this day under the Holidays Act 2003. An employer and employee may agree in their employment agreement to more favourable terms.

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are also restricted trading days, which means that most shops selling goods must remain closed on these days. For more information on Shop Trading Restrictions please visit www.dol.govt.nz. As Good Friday is a public holiday, when a business has a forced closure, any employees affected by the closure would receive a paid day off as an un-worked public holiday (provided the day is an otherwise working day for the employee). As Easter Sunday is not a public holiday, employees affected by closures on Easter Sunday cannot rely on payment under the Holidays Act 2003, and must therefore rely on their employment agreement.
Easter Monday is not a restricted trading day.