The Easter bank holiday weekend is fast approaching as many look forward to the long weekend.
Each year there is some confusion around how the bank holiday around Easter falls and when employees are due to be paid the higher rate for working a public holiday.
Many think that Good Friday is a bank holiday however it is not considered one in Ireland, and this year the confusion seems to be more widespread after the midweek Paddy’s bank holiday.
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.
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Those working on Monday, April 18, however, will be entitled to one of the following as this is considered an official bank holiday:
If you qualify for public holiday benefit in Ireland, 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.
The full list of bank holidays this year in Ireland are:
- New Year’s Day, January 3
- St. Patrick’s Day, March 17
- Day of Remembrance and Recognition, March 18
- Easter Monday, April 18
- Early May bank holiday, May 2
- June bank holiday, June 6
- August bank holiday, August 1
- October bank holiday, October 31
- Christmas Day, December 25
- St. Stephen’s Day, December 26
Easter Monday is the only public holiday that can vary significantly from year to year, because the date of Easter moves every year.
Easter should be the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after March 21, and this means that the earliest possible date for Easter Sunday in any year is March 22, and the latest is April 25.
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