What Are The Public Holidays in Antigua and Barbuda in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Antigua and Barbuda (2026)

Antigua and Barbuda has a clear calendar of national public holidays that apply across the country, with many tied to historic and cultural events. Use this list to plan staffing, leave approvals, and pay calculations for your team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, in Antigua and Barbuda employers are generally required to treat public holidays as paid days off for employees who would normally be scheduled to work on those days, in line with local labour standards and common practice. Where a public holiday falls on a Sunday, it is usually observed on the following Monday, and employees who would normally work on that observed day are typically entitled to their normal pay for the day off or premium pay if they are required to work.

Public holidays are national in scope, so the same holidays apply across Antigua and Barbuda without regional differences. Part‑time employees who regularly work on the day of the week on which a public holiday falls are usually entitled to holiday benefits on a pro‑rated basis, while casual or irregular workers may only be entitled if they were scheduled to work that day. When employees are required to work on a public holiday, they are commonly entitled to premium pay and, in some cases, time off in lieu, according to their contract or collective agreement.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday entitlements in Antigua and Barbuda can expose your company to complaints, inspections, and financial penalties. The Ministry of Labour is the primary authority responsible for enforcing employment standards, including public holiday rules, and can investigate where employees allege that they were underpaid or denied their holiday benefits.

Penalties can include orders to pay outstanding wages or premium rates, administrative fines, and in serious or repeated cases, prosecution under local labour legislation. Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to pay premium rates when staff work on a holiday, not recognising the observed Monday when a holiday falls on a Sunday, and inconsistent treatment of part‑time staff. To reduce risk, you should keep clear records of schedules, hours worked on holidays, and how holiday pay was calculated, and ensure employment contracts and handbooks clearly explain your public holiday policy.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Antigua and Barbuda can affect how you calculate overtime and premium pay, even though the exact thresholds and rates will depend on the applicable labour laws, contracts, and any collective agreements. In practice, hours worked on a public holiday are often paid at a higher rate than ordinary hours, and those hours may also count toward weekly overtime thresholds if they push an employee beyond their normal maximum working hours.

Many employers adopt policies that provide at least time‑and‑a‑half or double‑time pay for work performed on a public holiday, plus an alternative day off where required by contract or company policy. The safest approach is to treat public holiday work as exceptional, track it separately in your payroll system, and confirm that your total weekly hours and pay rates comply with local standards. When in doubt, you should seek local legal advice to confirm the correct overtime treatment for your specific workforce arrangements.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays in Antigua and Barbuda from abroad can be tricky, especially when you are juggling different time zones, contracts, and pay rules. Playroll helps you stay on top of local requirements so your team always gets the right holiday pay and time off.

With Playroll, you can automate public holiday calendars for Antigua and Barbuda, apply the correct pay rules when holidays are observed on a Monday, and keep part‑time and full‑time staff aligned with local practice. Our in‑country experts monitor legal changes and update our systems so your payroll calculations, payslips, and leave balances stay compliant without you having to track every detail yourself.

Instead of building your own local HR and payroll infrastructure, you can rely on Playroll to handle employment contracts, statutory benefits, and public holiday pay for your team in Antigua and Barbuda. That means fewer compliance headaches, less manual work for your HR and finance teams, and a better employee experience when it comes to time off and holiday pay.