What Are The Public Holidays in Guyana in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Guyana (2026)

Guyana recognises a mix of national, religious, and cultural public holidays. Some dates are fixed, while others depend on lunar or religious calendars and are confirmed annually by the government.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, in Guyana employees are generally entitled to a paid day off on public holidays, provided the day is a normal working day for them under their contract. In practice, most employers treat all gazetted public holidays as paid rest days for full-time staff, and pro-rate entitlements for part-time employees based on their usual work schedule.

When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, it is typically observed on the following Monday, and employees who would normally work that Monday are treated as having a paid holiday. If your operations require staff to work on a public holiday, common practice is to provide premium pay (often at least time-and-a-half or double time, depending on contract or collective agreement) or an alternative paid day off in lieu. The exact rate is usually set by the employment contract, company policy, or any applicable collective bargaining agreement, so you should document this clearly and apply it consistently.

For part-time and shift workers, you should align holiday pay with their regular pattern of work. If the holiday falls on a day they are not normally scheduled, there is usually no additional entitlement unless your internal policy or a collective agreement provides otherwise. Where practice is unclear, following the more generous interpretation and recording it in writing helps reduce disputes.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday entitlements in Guyana can expose your company to complaints to the Ministry of Labour, inspections, and potential orders to pay arrears of wages and other compensation. While specific fines and sanctions can change, the authorities can require employers to make back payments for unpaid holiday wages, correct payroll records, and in some cases face monetary penalties for repeated or serious non-compliance.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, not paying premium rates when staff are required to work on a holiday despite contractual promises, and failing to recognise the observed Monday when a holiday falls on a Sunday. Another frequent issue is inconsistent treatment between employees in similar roles, which can lead to discrimination claims or industrial disputes.

To reduce risk, keep clear written policies on public holidays, ensure contracts match your actual practice, and maintain accurate time and pay records that show who worked on each holiday and how they were compensated. When in doubt, seek local legal advice or guidance from the Ministry of Labour, and adopt the approach that best aligns with the Labour Act and any official Gazette notices for the year.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Guyana, public holidays interact with overtime primarily through premium pay for hours worked on those days, rather than by changing the basic weekly overtime thresholds. Employees who work on a public holiday are generally entitled to a higher rate of pay for those hours, on top of their normal weekly wages. The exact premium is usually set by contract, company policy, or collective agreement, but many employers use at least time-and-a-half or double time for holiday work.

Holiday hours should be recorded separately in your payroll system so you can clearly distinguish between regular hours, overtime hours, and public holiday hours paid at a premium rate. If an employee works more than their standard daily or weekly hours and some of those hours fall on a public holiday, you may need to apply both overtime and holiday premiums, depending on your contractual terms. When the law or contract is ambiguous, applying the more favourable rate to the employee is the safest approach.

Because religious holidays such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha, Phagwah, and Deepavali are confirmed annually, you should update your overtime and scheduling plans once the official dates are gazetted. This helps you avoid last-minute changes and ensures your team is correctly compensated for any work on those days.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays in Guyana can be tricky, especially when you are juggling movable religious dates, observed Mondays, and different pay rules for shift workers and part-time staff. Playroll helps you cut through that complexity so your team in Guyana is paid correctly and on time, every time.

With Playroll, you can centralise your global workforce on one platform while we handle the local details. Our in-country experts track official Gazettes and regulatory updates, so your Guyanese holiday calendar, pay rates, and observed days stay accurate without you having to chase every change.

Playroll can help your company:

• Automatically apply local public holidays and observed days to your Guyana team’s schedules and payroll
• Configure and enforce holiday pay rules and premiums that align with Guyanese practice and your internal policies
• Pro-rate holiday entitlements for part-time and shift workers so treatment is consistent and defensible
• Maintain clean records of hours worked on holidays to support audits, inspections, or employee queries
• Scale hiring in Guyana and other countries without building in-house legal and payroll expertise in every jurisdiction

Instead of worrying whether you have correctly handled Easter Monday, Caricom Day, or the next Eid, you can rely on Playroll’s compliance engine and local insight. That frees you up to focus on building your team and growing your business, while we keep your holiday and leave practices aligned with Guyana’s evolving employment landscape.