Rostering on NZ Public Holidays and Matariki

When you roster someone on a New Zealand public holiday, they must be paid at least time and a half for the hours they work. If the holiday falls on a day they would normally work, they also earn an alternative holiday (a paid day off later). If it isn't a day they'd normally work, they get time and a half but no alternative holiday.

Those two sentences cover most of it. The tricky part for a cafe or shop owner isn't the rule. It's remembering the holiday is coming, deciding who works it, and keeping track of the alternative days you now owe. This post is about rostering, not legal advice, so for anything specific to your situation check Employment New Zealand or get advice.

Which public holidays does New Zealand have?

Employees are entitled to up to 12 public holidays a year. That's 11 national holidays plus the anniversary day for their region. In 2026 the national ones are:

• New Year's Day (Thursday 1 January) and the day after (Friday 2 January)
• Waitangi Day (Friday 6 February)
• Good Friday (3 April) and Easter Monday (6 April)
• Anzac Day (Saturday 25 April, or Monday 27 April if Mondayised)
• King's Birthday (Monday 1 June)
• Matariki (Friday 10 July)
• Labour Day (Monday 26 October)
• Christmas Day (Friday 25 December)
• Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December, or Monday 28 December if Mondayised)

Regional anniversary days vary, so check your region on Employment New Zealand's public holidays and anniversary dates page.

When is Matariki, and is it different from other holidays?

Matariki moves each year to line up with the Māori lunar calendar, and it always falls on a Friday. In 2026 it's Friday 10 July. In 2027 it's Friday 25 June. The dates are set in law through to 2052 in the Te Kāhui o Matariki Public Holiday Act 2022.

For rostering it works like any other public holiday: the same rules on pay and alternative holidays apply. The only real difference is that it's newer and moves around, so it's the one people forget. If you've built rosters from a spreadsheet template you made years ago, it's worth checking Matariki is actually in there.

Can I require staff to work on a public holiday?

Only in some cases. Employment New Zealand's guidance for managing public holidays as an employer says you can only require an employee to work a public holiday if it falls on a day they would otherwise be working, and their employment agreement says they have to work public holidays. If the work would be outside their agreed and guaranteed hours, that needs to be covered by an availability clause in their agreement.

In practice, plenty of hospitality staff are happy to work holidays for the higher rate. Asking early and rostering the willing ones first tends to go better than assigning holidays and hoping nobody objects.

What is an "otherwise working day"?

It's the test that decides whether someone earns an alternative holiday, and whether they're paid for the holiday if they don't work it. Broadly, it's a day the employee would have worked if it weren't a public holiday.

For staff with fixed days it's easy. For casual or rotating rosters it's harder, and Employment New Zealand says you can't rely on one factor alone: look at their usual work pattern, past rosters and what both of you would reasonably expect. This is where keeping your past rosters matters. They're your evidence of what someone's normal week looks like.

What do staff earn for working a public holiday?

Working on any public holiday means at least time and a half for the hours worked. If it was an otherwise working day for them, they also get an alternative holiday.

A few details trip people up:

• The alternative holiday is a whole working day off on full pay, even if they only worked two hours on the public holiday.
• It has to be taken on a day that's an otherwise working day for them, and it can't be another public holiday.
• If you can't agree when it's taken, the employer can decide, as long as it's reasonable and the employee gets at least 14 days' notice.
• After 12 months, an employee can ask to have an unused alternative holiday paid out.

And if someone doesn't work a public holiday that was an otherwise working day, they're still paid for it. The details are on Employment New Zealand's public holiday pay page.

How does Mondayisation affect the roster?

Some holidays (Waitangi Day, Anzac Day, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2 January) can be transferred when they land on a weekend. If an employee doesn't normally work that Saturday or Sunday, their holiday moves to the following weekday, usually the Monday. If they do normally work the weekend day, the holiday stays on the weekend day for them.

So in a week like Anzac 2026, two people in the same cafe can have their public holiday on different days. Weekend staff have it on Saturday 25 April. Monday to Friday staff have it on Monday 27 April. You can't claim both. This is worth noting on the roster itself so whoever does payroll doesn't have to guess.

Can my shop open on a public holiday?

Most can, but not all. Almost all shops must close on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Anzac Day until 1pm. Cafes and other businesses selling food that's ready to eat straight away are generally allowed to open. See restricted trading days for shops for the details, including local Easter Sunday policies.

A simple process for rostering a public holiday week

1. Look ahead a month and mark any public holidays, including your regional anniversary day.
2. Decide whether you're opening and with how many people. Holiday trade can be very different from a normal day.
3. Ask staff who'd like to work it. Check agreements before requiring anyone.
4. For each person rostered, note whether it's an otherwise working day for them, so you know who's owed an alternative holiday.
5. Track alternative holidays owed, and agree dates for them.

WeRoster adds the national public holidays automatically (your regional anniversary day is still yours to remember) and shows them as a label on the right day in the roster editor, so Matariki doesn't sneak up on you. When staff take their alternative holiday, they can request it as an alternative day through leave requests, and once you approve it, that time is blocked out on the roster.

One more thing to watch: Employment New Zealand says the Employment Leave Act will replace the Holidays Act in August 2028. Until then, the current Holidays Act rules apply.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay time and a half on Matariki?

Yes. Matariki is a public holiday like any other, so staff who work it are paid at least time and a half for the hours they work, and earn an alternative holiday if it's an otherwise working day for them.

When is Matariki in 2026 and 2027?

Friday 10 July 2026 and Friday 25 June 2027.

Does a casual employee get an alternative holiday?

Only if the public holiday was an otherwise working day for them. That depends on their usual pattern of work, so look at past rosters and what both of you would reasonably expect. Either way, they're paid at least time and a half for hours worked.

Can I pay out an alternative holiday instead of giving a day off?

Only after 12 months has passed since the employee became entitled to it, and only if they ask. Until then it's a day off.