What Are The Public Holidays in Ghana in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Ghana (2026)

Ghana’s public holidays combine fixed national days with movable religious festivals. Use this 2026 list to plan staffing, leave approvals, and payroll well in advance.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Ghanaian labour law, public holidays that fall on an employee’s normal working day are generally treated as paid days off. Employees should not lose pay because a statutory public holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work.

If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically observed as the paid holiday. Where a holiday falls on a non-working day for a particular employee, there is usually no additional paid day off unless your contract or collective agreement provides a more generous benefit.

Part-time and shift workers are usually entitled to paid public holidays on a pro rata basis when the holiday falls on a day they are scheduled to work. The exact treatment should be clearly set out in employment contracts or company policy to avoid disputes.

When employees are required to work on a public holiday, they are generally entitled to their normal daily wage for the holiday plus additional compensation for the hours worked on that day, often at a premium rate or with time off in lieu, depending on the contract, collective agreement, or sector practice. Because specific rates can vary, you should confirm the applicable rules in your industry and ensure your contracts clearly describe how holiday work is compensated.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights in Ghana can expose your company to complaints, inspections, and sanctions. The main enforcement bodies are the Labour Department and the National Labour Commission, which can investigate complaints from employees or unions about unpaid or improperly managed public holidays.

Where an employer does not pay employees correctly for public holidays, or compels them to work without appropriate compensation, authorities can order payment of arrears, require corrective measures, and, in some cases, impose fines or other administrative penalties. Persistent non-compliance can also increase the risk of litigation, reputational damage, and strained union relations.

Common mistakes include treating public holidays as ordinary leave days, failing to pay employees who are not scheduled because of the holiday, miscalculating pay for shift workers, and not applying the Monday observance rule when a holiday falls on a Sunday. To reduce risk, document your holiday policy, align it with Ghanaian law, and keep clear payroll records showing how holiday pay was calculated.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Ghana are generally treated as rest days, so any work performed on those days is more tightly regulated than work on ordinary weekdays. While the Labour Act sets baseline rules on hours of work and rest, the exact overtime premium for holiday work is often determined by employment contracts, collective agreements, or sector-specific arrangements.

In practice, many employers treat hours worked on a public holiday as overtime from the first hour, applying a higher pay rate than standard overtime or granting equivalent time off in lieu. Because the law does not spell out a single mandatory premium rate for all sectors, the safest approach is to adopt a clearly defined premium in your contracts and ensure it is at least as favourable as any applicable collective agreement or industry norm.

When calculating weekly overtime thresholds, you should decide in your internal policy whether paid public holidays count as hours worked for the purpose of overtime. Many employers exclude the paid holiday hours from the overtime calculation but still pay a premium for any actual hours worked on the holiday itself. Whatever approach you choose, apply it consistently and explain it transparently to employees.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Ghana's public holidays and leave rules doesn’t have to be complex. Playroll keeps you 100% compliant by automatically tracking local holidays, observed days, and pay requirements –  so your team is paid correctly and on time, every time.

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a growing team, Playroll lets you employ talent without setting up a local entity. We handle compliant contracts, benefits, and payroll in one platform, so you can reduce compliance risk and focus on growing your business while we take care of the heavy-lifting in the background. Book a chat with our team to get started.