What Are The Public Holidays in Benin in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Benin (2026)

Benin observes a mix of civil, religious, and commemorative public holidays. Below is an overview of the main national public holidays expected in 2026 so you can plan staffing and leave for your Benin‑based team.

Islamic holidays such as Eid al‑Fitr and Eid al‑Adha follow the Islamic lunar calendar, so the exact dates are confirmed locally by religious authorities shortly before they occur. Christian observances may be more relevant in regions with larger Christian populations.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Beninese labour practice, public holidays that fall on an employee’s normal working day are generally treated as paid days off, provided the employee is otherwise entitled to paid leave and has not been absent without justification. In other words, if your Benin‑based employee would normally work on that day, you should pay their regular salary even though they are not working because of the public holiday.

Where operations require work on a public holiday, employees are typically entitled to both their normal pay for the day and additional compensation for the hours worked, often in the form of a premium rate or compensatory rest. The exact arrangements are usually set out in the employment contract or applicable collective agreement, and you should check any sector‑specific rules that may apply to your company.

Part‑time employees are usually entitled to public holiday pay on a pro‑rata basis when the holiday falls on a day they are normally scheduled to work. If the holiday falls on a non‑working day for that employee, there is generally no additional entitlement unless your internal policy or a collective agreement provides more generous treatment.

In Benin, public holidays are national rather than regional, but some religious holidays may be more widely observed in certain areas or by specific communities. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is commonly observed on that Sunday rather than moved to Monday, although some employers voluntarily grant a substitute day off as a matter of policy.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Benin’s Labour Code provides the framework for working time, rest days, and public holidays, and non‑compliance can expose your company to administrative and financial consequences. Labour inspectors have authority to review your time‑keeping, payroll, and leave records and can order corrective measures if they find that employees have not received their due public holiday pay or rest.

Penalties may include fines calculated per offence or per affected employee, back‑payment of wages and premiums, and, in serious or repeated cases, additional sanctions under general labour and social security rules. Employees can also bring claims before the competent labour courts to recover unpaid holiday wages or challenge unlawful practices, which can lead to judgments against the employer, interest on late payments, and legal costs.

Common mistakes by foreign employers include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to apply premium rates or compensatory rest when employees work on a holiday, and not documenting local practices clearly in contracts and policies. To reduce risk, align your internal rules with the Labour Code, keep accurate records of hours worked on holidays, and obtain local legal advice where needed, as enforcement approaches can evolve.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Benin, overtime is generally calculated based on hours worked beyond the standard weekly working time set by the Labour Code and any applicable collective agreement. Public holidays interact with these thresholds in two main ways: hours worked on a public holiday are usually treated as exceptional work that attracts a premium rate, and they may also count toward weekly overtime if they push the employee’s total hours above the normal limit.

While specific percentages can vary by sector and agreement, it is common for work on public holidays to be paid at a higher rate than ordinary overtime or to be compensated with additional paid rest time. For example, an employee might receive their normal daily wage for the public holiday plus a premium (such as 50% or 100% extra) for the hours actually worked, or an equivalent period of compensatory leave. Because the exact multipliers and thresholds can differ, the safest approach is to check the applicable collective agreement and ensure your payroll system can distinguish between regular hours, overtime, and public holiday hours.

To stay compliant, you should clearly define in your contracts and policies how public holiday work is authorised, recorded, and compensated, and make sure managers understand that asking employees to work on a holiday without the correct premium or compensatory rest can create back‑pay liabilities.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Benin’s mix of civil and religious public holidays can be tricky, especially when you are coordinating teams across multiple countries. You need to know which days are public holidays, how they affect pay and overtime, and what to do when employees work on those days – all without slowing down your operations.

Playroll helps you handle this complexity by combining local expertise with a simple, global platform. When you employ people in Benin through Playroll, our in‑country specialists track official public holidays, monitor changes to labour rules, and make sure your employment contracts and payroll settings reflect local requirements for paid holidays, premiums, and compensatory rest.

Instead of manually updating spreadsheets every time a movable feast like Eid al‑Fitr shifts, you can rely on Playroll to keep calendars and pay rules current. Your Benin‑based employees see clear, accurate information about their public holidays and leave, while your HR and finance teams get consistent reporting across all countries.

Whether you are hiring your first employee in Cotonou or scaling a larger Benin team, Playroll gives you a compliant structure for working time, public holidays, and leave – so you can focus on building your business, not decoding local labour law.