What Are The Public Holidays in Belize in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Belize (2026)

Belize recognizes a set of nationwide public and bank holidays each year, many of which are tied to important historical and cultural events. Use the table below to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Belize-based team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Belizean labour law, public and bank holidays are generally treated as paid rest days for employees who normally work on the day in question. If a public holiday falls on a day when an employee would ordinarily be scheduled to work, they are typically entitled to their normal day’s pay even if they do not work, provided they meet any qualifying conditions set out in their contract or applicable law.

When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, it is usually observed on the following Monday, and the Monday is treated as the paid holiday for employment and payroll purposes. If your business requires employees to work on a public holiday, they are commonly entitled to premium pay for the hours worked in addition to their basic holiday entitlement. While specific rates can be set by statute, collective agreements, or contracts, a higher-than-normal rate for holiday work is standard practice.

Part-time and shift workers should receive public holiday benefits on a pro-rated or equivalent basis, depending on how their normal working week is structured. For example, if a part-time employee does not usually work on the day the holiday falls, they may not be entitled to a paid day off but may be entitled to premium pay if they are required to work that day. Because entitlements can vary by sector and contract, you should always align your internal policy with the Labour Act, any applicable wage orders, and written employment agreements.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights in Belize can expose your company to complaints, inspections, and financial penalties. The Ministry of Rural Transformation, Labour and Local Government is responsible for enforcing labour standards, including holiday and wage rules. Employees can file complaints if they believe they have not been paid correctly for public holidays or have been denied their statutory rest days.

Where an employer underpays or withholds public holiday pay, labour officers may order back payment of wages, including any premium rates owed, and can recommend or impose fines and other sanctions as provided under the Labour Act and related regulations. Persistent or willful non-compliance can increase the risk of more serious enforcement action, reputational damage, and potential civil claims for unpaid wages or breach of contract.

Common mistakes include treating public holidays as normal working days without premium pay, failing to observe the Monday in-lieu rule when a holiday falls on Sunday, and not documenting employees’ consent to work on holidays. To reduce risk, keep clear records of schedules, hours worked on holidays, and how you calculated holiday pay for each employee.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Belize interact with overtime and premium pay rules in two main ways: the entitlement to a paid rest day and the higher rate that usually applies if an employee actually works on that day. Time worked on a public holiday is typically paid at a premium rate above the employee’s normal hourly wage, and this premium is separate from any overtime that may be triggered by weekly hour thresholds.

If an employee exceeds the standard maximum daily or weekly hours because they worked on a public holiday, those extra hours may also qualify as overtime, which can attract an additional premium. In practice, this can mean that some hours on a public holiday are paid at a holiday premium rate, and hours beyond the normal weekly limit are paid at an overtime premium, depending on how the law and the employment contract are structured. Because the exact interaction between holiday pay and overtime can vary by sector and agreement, it is safest to adopt the more favourable interpretation for the employee where there is doubt and to confirm your approach with local legal or payroll experts.

For part-time and shift-based staff, you should apply the same principles: identify whether the day is a public holiday for them based on their normal schedule, pay any holiday premium for hours worked, and then assess whether total weekly hours cross the overtime threshold.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Belize’s mix of fixed and movable public holidays across a distributed team can quickly become complex, especially when you factor in in-lieu days, premium rates, and different working patterns. Playroll helps you handle all of this in the background so your team gets paid correctly and on time.

With Playroll, you can employ talent in Belize without setting up a local entity, while we take care of compliant employment contracts, statutory benefits, and public holiday rules. Our platform tracks Belizean public holidays for each year, automatically applies observed days, and feeds this into payroll so that holiday pay and any applicable premiums are calculated accurately.

You stay in control of who works on which days, while Playroll ensures that their pay reflects local law and best practice. If the law changes or new guidance is issued, our in-country experts update the rules so your policies stay current without you having to monitor every legal development.

Whether you are hiring your first employee in Belize or scaling a larger team, Playroll gives you a single, reliable system for managing leave, holidays, and payroll across borders. That means fewer compliance headaches for you and a smoother experience for your Belize-based employees.