What Are The Public Holidays in Ethiopia in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Ethiopia (2026)

In Ethiopia, public holidays follow a mix of fixed Gregorian dates and movable religious feasts based on the Ethiopian Orthodox and Islamic calendars. Below is an indicative list of the main nationwide public holidays in 2026 that most employers should plan around.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Ethiopian labor law generally requires employers to treat official public holidays as paid rest days for employees, provided the day falls on a normal working day for that employee. Employees who are not required to work on a public holiday are typically entitled to their regular pay for the day without any requirement to make up the hours later.

If your operations must continue on a public holiday and employees are required to work, they are usually entitled to premium compensation on top of their normal wage for the hours worked. The exact rate and calculation method should be set out in the employment contract or collective agreement, but in practice employers often apply at least the standard overtime or a higher “holiday premium” rate to reflect work on a rest day.

Part‑time and shift workers are generally entitled to paid public holidays on a pro‑rated basis when the holiday falls on a day they would normally be scheduled to work. If the holiday falls on a non‑working day for that employee, there is usually no additional entitlement unless your company policy or a collective agreement provides a more generous benefit.

When a public holiday falls on a weekend, Ethiopian practice is usually to observe the holiday on that calendar date rather than moving it to the next weekday. Some employers voluntarily grant a weekday off in lieu to align with international practices, but this is a matter of company policy unless a specific law, contract, or collective agreement requires it.

There are also regional and religious observances that may be treated as holidays in certain parts of the country or for particular faith communities. For example, Islamic holidays such as Eid al‑Fitr and Eid al‑Adha are recognized nationally, but additional local religious feast days may be observed by agreement between employers and employees in those areas.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights can expose your company to administrative penalties and back‑pay liabilities under Ethiopian labor legislation. The Ministry of Labor and Skills and regional labor authorities are responsible for monitoring compliance, investigating complaints, and imposing sanctions.

If an employer does not pay employees correctly for public holidays, or requires work on a holiday without the appropriate premium or compensatory rest, labor inspectors can order the employer to rectify the breach. This typically includes paying any unpaid holiday wages or premium pay, and in some cases may include fines or other administrative measures depending on the seriousness and persistence of the violation.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, offsetting holiday pay against annual leave balances, or failing to apply premium rates when staff work on a holiday. Another frequent issue is inconsistent treatment between different groups of employees, which can lead to disputes and claims of discrimination. To reduce risk, you should document your holiday policy clearly, align it with Ethiopian law, and apply it consistently across your workforce.

Because enforcement practices and penalty levels can change, and may vary by region, it is important to seek up‑to‑date local legal advice or work with a specialist partner when you are unsure how a specific situation should be handled.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Ethiopia, public holidays are generally treated as rest days, so hours worked on those days are usually considered exceptional and attract premium pay. While the exact overtime thresholds and multipliers are set out in the labor code and may be supplemented by collective agreements, the core principle is that work performed on a public holiday should not be paid at the same rate as ordinary weekday work.

In practice, many employers treat hours worked on a public holiday as overtime from the first hour, regardless of whether the employee has exceeded their normal weekly hours. This means that even if an employee has not yet reached the standard weekly threshold, any work on a public holiday is still compensated at a higher rate or with additional time off in lieu. Where a collective agreement exists, it may specify higher multipliers for holiday work than for ordinary overtime.

To stay compliant, your company should clearly define in contracts and policies how holiday work is authorized, tracked, and compensated. You should also ensure that your payroll system can distinguish between regular hours, overtime, and holiday hours so that the correct premiums are applied. When in doubt, applying the more generous interpretation of the law or agreement is usually the safer approach from a compliance and employee‑relations perspective.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays in Ethiopia can be tricky, especially when you are coordinating teams across multiple countries and time zones. You need to track national and religious holidays, understand when they are paid, and make sure your overtime and payroll rules line up with Ethiopian labor standards.

Playroll helps you handle all of this in one place. Our platform keeps an up‑to‑date calendar of public holidays for Ethiopia and other countries, so your planners and managers always know when staff are likely to be off. When a holiday falls on a working day, Playroll automatically factors it into timesheets, leave balances, and payroll calculations, reducing the risk of underpaying or overpaying employees.

Because Playroll works with local experts, you get practical guidance on how to treat holiday work, premium rates, and regional observances, without having to become an Ethiopian labor law specialist yourself. If your team needs to work on a public holiday, Playroll can help you configure the correct premium rules and apply them consistently across all affected employees.

Whether you are hiring your first employee in Ethiopia or scaling a larger team, Playroll gives you the tools to stay compliant with local leave and holiday regulations while keeping your internal policies simple and transparent. That way, your people get the rest and recognition they are entitled to, and you stay focused on growing your business instead of worrying about regulatory details.