What are public holidays?
Public holidays are government-mandated non-working days that carry specific legal obligations for employers. Unlike standard annual leave, which is often flexible, these dates are fixed by law and dictate critical payroll rules such as premium pay, store closures, and compensatory time off.
For global businesses, navigating these diverse calendars, which can vary by state, religion, or local custom, is essential to ensure labor law compliance and maintain operational efficiency.
What actually counts as a Public Holiday?
It sounds simple, but globally, the definition varies. A National Holiday is established by law and typically mandatory for all sectors. However, many countries also observe:
- Regional HolidaysApplicable only to specific states or cantons (common in Switzerland, Germany, Spain).
- Bank HolidaysDays when financial institutions close. While often aligned with public holidays, they don't always guarantee time off for the general workforce.
- Religious HolidaysDays tied to specific religious traditions, which may or may not be official public holidays depending on local laws.
The \
In many jurisdictions, if a public holiday falls on a weekend, it is lost. In others (like the UK or USA), it moves to the next Monday.
Why accuracy matters for business.
For companies with international teams, public holidays are more than just days off, they are complex compliance events. Failing to track them accurately can lead to:
Payroll Errors
Incorrectly calculating overtime pay for employees working on holidays.
Legal Risk
Violating local labor laws regarding mandatory rest periods.
Operational Disruptions
Holiday misalignment can derail projects, support coverage, and delivery timelines. A working day in one country may be a major public holiday in another.
Stop Managing Holidays Manually
Leavo is the modern infrastructure for global leave and holiday management. Instead of maintaining scattered calendars or updating spreadsheets, Leavo gives you a single, reliable system that keeps every team aligned and compliant, automatically.
What Leavo delivers
- Auto-generated public holiday calendars for every country, region, and city
- Location-based rules applied automatically to each employee
- A single source of truth, always up to date
- Full compliance tracking with complete audit history
Public Holidays by Country
Select a jurisdiction to view the official holiday calendar for 2025.
Common questions about Public Holidays
Does every country have the same number of holidays?
No. The number varies significantly. For example, the UK has only 8 bank holidays, while Colombia and India can have over 18 public holidays per year.
Are holidays paid days off?
In most of Europe and Latin America, yes. In the United States, there is no federal requirement for employers to provide paid time off for holidays, though many do.
What are \
Common in Europe (Br眉ckentag), this refers to taking a single vacation day on a Monday or Friday to connect a Tuesday/Thursday holiday with the weekend, creating a 4-day break.
How do I track this for my team?
You can manually update a shared calendar, or use a dedicated tool like Leavo to automatically sync local holidays to each employee's profile.
Ready to automate your leave management?
Stop worrying about compliance rules and calendar updates. Let Leavo handle it for you.