What Are The Public Holidays in Togo in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Togo (2026)

Below is an overview of the main nationwide public holidays in Togo in 2026 so you can plan staffing, payroll, and leave for your Togolese team with confidence.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Togolese labour practice, public holidays that fall on an employee's normal working day are generally treated as paid days off, meaning your company should pay employees their regular wage even though they are not working. This applies to both public and private sector employers and covers the nationwide holidays listed above. There are no significant regional public holiday differences for 2026, so you can apply the same calendar across Togo.

If your business requires staff to work on a public holiday, you should provide compensatory arrangements, typically either premium pay or an alternative paid rest day, in line with the employment contract, collective agreement, or internal policy. Part-time employees are usually entitled to paid public holidays on a pro rata basis when the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. When a holiday falls on a Sunday or another non-working day, Togolese law and practice do not always mandate a substitute weekday, so many employers choose to follow internal policy or collective agreements to grant a day off in lieu for fairness and retention.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday entitlements in Togo can expose your company to labour inspections, administrative fines, and potential back-pay obligations. The Ministry of Civil Service, Labour and Social Dialogue and labour inspectorates are responsible for enforcing compliance with working time and holiday rules. If an inspection finds that employees were not paid correctly for public holidays or were required to work without appropriate compensation, you may be ordered to regularise pay, adjust working time records, and in some cases pay penalties.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, not applying holiday rules to fixed-term or part-time staff, and failing to document when employees work on holidays and how they are compensated. To reduce risk, keep clear records of schedules, attendance, and pay for each public holiday, and ensure your Togolese employment contracts and internal regulations explicitly describe how public holidays are handled.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Togo, public holidays interact with working time and overtime rules primarily through how hours are counted and compensated. Hours worked on a public holiday are typically treated as exceptional work and should not disadvantage employees compared with normal working days. In practice, this means that if an employee works on a public holiday, those hours are often paid at a higher rate or combined with an additional rest day, depending on the contract or collective agreement.

When calculating overtime, you should count any hours worked on a public holiday toward the employee's weekly working time. If those hours push the employee above the standard weekly limit set by Togolese labour law or by contract, overtime premiums may apply in addition to any holiday premium you offer. Because detailed rates and thresholds can vary by sector and agreement, the safest approach is to define in writing how your company will treat public holiday work, premium rates, and compensatory rest, and to ensure that your practice is at least as favourable as the minimum standards in Togolese law.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing public holidays, overtime, and leave rules in Togo can be challenging, especially if your HR and payroll teams are based in another country. Playroll helps you hire and pay Togolese talent compliantly, without needing to become a local labour law expert.

Our platform keeps track of Togo's official public holidays, including moving religious dates like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and automatically applies them to your employees' calendars. When a holiday falls on a weekend or when staff work on a public holiday, Playroll gives you clear options for handling pay, time off in lieu, and overtime so you can align with local expectations and your internal policies.

With Playroll, you can:

• Onboard employees in Togo with locally compliant contracts that explain public holiday and leave entitlements
• Automate payroll calculations so public holiday pay and any premiums are handled correctly
• Configure part-time and shift patterns so holiday pay is pro rated accurately
• Maintain auditable records of working time and holiday pay for inspections
• Scale your Togolese team while staying aligned with evolving local regulations

If you are planning to hire in Togo or already have a team on the ground, Playroll gives you a single, reliable system to manage public holidays, leave, and payroll in a compliant and employee-friendly way.