A day off for a holiday on Saturday - what does the Labor Code say?

A day off for a holiday on Saturday - what does the Labor Code say?

Pursuant to Art. 130 of the Labor Code, each holiday falling on a day other than Sunday reduces the working time by 8 hours. In practice, this means that if a holiday falls on a Saturday, the employer must appropriately reduce the number of hours the employee must work in a given settlement period. This is most often done by designating an additional day off.

December 2026 under the microscope – how many days off actually?

In December 2026, we have three public holidays, which fall on days other than Sunday: December 24 (Christmas Eve), December 25 (Christmas Day) and December 26 (the second day of Christmas, i.e. Saturday). For full-time employees working from Monday to Friday, this means the need to plan an additional day off for December 26.

Settlement example:

- 23 working days in December × 8 hours = 184 hours

- We subtract 3 holidays (December 24, 25, 26) × 8 hours = 24 hours

- Working time in December 2026 is therefore 160 hours, i.e. 20 working days of 8 hours each

When should December 26 be scheduled as a day off?

A day off for a holiday falling on a Saturday must be scheduled in the same billing period in which the holiday occurs.

In the case of a monthly settlement period, the holiday for December 26 must fall in December 2026. The date is decided by the employer - it may be, for example, December 28 (Monday) or another day that will not disrupt the operation of the company.

Will every employee get a whole day off?

An employee will not always get the entire day off. Part-time employees have proportionally reduced working hours. For example, for a 1/2-time employee the reduction is 4 hours, and for a 3/5-time employee - 4.8 hours. In practice, this may mean shortening the working day or giving part of the day off.

What if the day off conflicts with vacation or sick leave?

A day off for a holiday on Saturday is not a holiday leave. If the employee has a planned vacation during this time, he or she does not lose a vacation day - it is simply a day off resulting from the schedule.

Similarly, in the case of sick leave - there is no obligation to designate another day off if the employee was sick on the day designated as a holiday.

What is the employer's risk for incorrect settlement?

Incorrect settlement of working time may result in overtime for which additional remuneration is due.

Additionally, during an inspection by the National Labor Inspectorate, the employer may be fined from PLN 2,000 to even PLN 60,000 for violating working time regulations.

Public administration – when are you off on December 26?

In government administration, the dates of days off are set top-down. In 2026, the holiday of December 26 will be a day off on December 28 (Monday).

In the private sector, the decision rests with the employer.