The Easter bank holiday weekend is nearly at a close as many enjoy a final day before a return to work.
Each year there is some confusion about how the bank holiday around Easter falls and when employees are due to be paid the higher rate for working.
Many think that Good Friday is a bank holiday however it is not considered one in Ireland, and this year there was a bit more confusion after the midweek St Patrick's Day bank holiday last month.
READ MORE: Is Good Friday a Bank Holiday in Ireland and am I entitled to increased pay?
Despite the fact that banks are closed on Friday as well as many businesses, those who are scheduled to work won’t be entitled to Public Holiday pay for this day.
However, those working on Easter Monday, April 18, will be entitled to one of the following as this is considered an official bank holiday:
- a paid day off on that day
- a paid day off within a month of that day
- an additional day of annual leave
- an additional day of pay
According to workplacerelations.ie, full-time workers always have immediate entitlement to benefits for public holidays while part-time workers have entitlement to benefit when they have worked a total of 40 hours in the previous 5 weeks.
When a person works on a public holiday they are entitled to be paid their full agreed daily rate, and they are also entitled to benefit for the public holiday.
The official government website states that “this can be different for each public holiday and each employee depending on the individual's work pattern".
If the business you work for happens to close on the bank holiday but you would normally be due to work, then you are entitled to a normal day's pay.
On the other hand, if the business is open and you are working, you are entitled to either paid time off or an additional day's pay.
If a person is not normally rostered to work that day, they will still be entitled to one-fifth of their normal weekly wage added to their payslip.
If you stop working, are let go or laid off during the week ending on the day before a public holiday, and have worked during the 4 weeks in the run up to this, then you are once again entitled to receive pay for the public holiday.
If the bank holiday occurs on a day that isn’t a normal working day - Saturday and Sunday - employees will still be entitled to any of the following:
- a paid day off within a month of that day
- an additional day of annual leave
- an additional day of pay
“However, there is no legal entitlement to have the next working day off work,” according to the website.
Finally, if a person has been placed on temporary lay-off, they are entitled to some form of benefit - as listed above - for the public holidays that fall within the first thirteen weeks of their scheduled lay-off.
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