What Are The Public Holidays in Ukraine in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Ukraine (2026)

Ukraine’s Labour Code sets out nationwide public holidays that apply to most employees. Below is an overview of the key public holidays in 2026 to help you plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Ukrainian team.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Ukrainian labour law generally requires employers to provide paid leave on official public holidays. For employees who normally work on the day of the week when the holiday falls, the day is a paid non-working day. The employee keeps their average earnings for that day, calculated under the standard Ukrainian average wage rules.

If a public holiday falls on a weekend, the government often designates a weekday as the official observed day off. The exact substitute days can be confirmed by annual government resolutions, so your company should check each year’s official calendar to align work schedules and payroll.

Part-time employees are entitled to paid public holidays for days they would ordinarily work. If the holiday falls on a day they are not scheduled to work, there is no additional paid time off. For shift workers and continuous operations, you can require work on a public holiday, but the work must be compensated at a premium rate or with an alternative day off.

Employees who work on a public holiday are typically entitled to at least double pay for the hours worked, or normal pay plus an additional day off, in line with the Labour Code and any applicable collective agreements. Many employers document these rules clearly in local policies or employment contracts to avoid disputes.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failing to provide paid public holidays or the correct premium pay for holiday work can expose your company to administrative fines and back-pay obligations. The State Labour Service of Ukraine is the main enforcement authority and can conduct inspections, review time records, and order corrective payments.

Penalties can include fines calculated as multiples of the minimum wage for each affected employee, plus the requirement to pay any underpaid wages, holiday pay, and related social contributions. In serious or repeated cases, authorities may also impose additional sanctions or refer matters for further legal action.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as ordinary working days without premium pay, misclassifying employees as contractors to avoid holiday obligations, and failing to apply substitute days when the government shifts a holiday from a weekend to a weekday. Keeping accurate timekeeping records, written schedules, and clear internal policies is essential to demonstrate compliance during an inspection.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Ukraine, work performed on public holidays is treated separately from standard overtime. Hours worked on a public holiday must be paid at a higher rate under the Labour Code, typically at least double the regular hourly rate, regardless of whether the employee has exceeded their normal weekly hours.

If an employee both exceeds their normal working time and works on a public holiday, your company may need to apply both overtime and holiday premium rules, depending on the specific circumstances and any collective agreement. In practice, many employers ensure that the total pay for holiday hours is not less than the highest applicable premium and document the calculation method in internal regulations.

Because Ukrainian authorities pay close attention to working time compliance, you should track hours worked on public holidays separately from regular hours and overtime. This helps you correctly calculate premiums, manage compensatory rest days, and provide clear evidence if your company is audited.

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Managing Ukraine'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.