What Are The Public Holidays in Liberia in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Liberia (2026)

Below is an overview of the main public holidays expected to be observed across Liberia in 2026. Always confirm final dates and any additional sector‑specific holidays with local authorities or your in‑country HR advisors.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, in Liberia employers are generally expected to treat statutory public holidays as paid days off when they fall on an employee’s normal working day, unless the employee is required to work and receives appropriate compensation. Public holidays listed in national law are observed country‑wide rather than by region, although specific industries or collective agreements may add extra days or enhanced benefits.

Where a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically observed as the public holiday for employment purposes, and employees who would ordinarily work that Monday should receive the public holiday benefit. If your employees work part‑time or on variable schedules, pay is usually based on their normal hours for that day or an average of recent working time, as set out in their contract or workplace policy.

Employees who are required to work on a public holiday are commonly entitled to either premium pay, compensatory time off, or both, depending on their contract, company policy, or any applicable collective agreement. Because Liberia’s labour legislation and its enforcement practice can evolve, you should confirm the exact entitlements with local counsel and clearly document your holiday policy in employment contracts and handbooks.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

If your company fails to honour public holiday entitlements in Liberia, you risk labour inspections, orders to rectify underpayments, and financial penalties. The Ministry of Labour and related authorities can investigate complaints from employees, review your payroll and time‑off records, and require you to pay back wages for unpaid or underpaid holidays, potentially with interest or additional sanctions where non‑compliance is deliberate or repeated.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to apply the Monday observance rule when a holiday falls on Sunday, and not documenting who worked on a public holiday and what premium they received. To reduce risk, keep clear records of work schedules, holiday calendars, payroll calculations, and any written agreements that modify standard holiday arrangements, and ensure your local managers understand the difference between annual leave and public holiday leave.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Liberia, public holidays can affect overtime in two main ways: how you count working hours for the week and what rate you pay for hours worked on the holiday itself. If an employee does not work on a public holiday but is paid as if they had, those hours are generally not treated as hours actually worked for overtime‑threshold purposes. However, if they do work on the holiday, those hours are usually counted as worked hours and may attract both overtime and holiday‑premium pay, depending on your policy and any applicable law or collective agreement.

Many employers in Liberia choose to pay a higher‑than‑normal rate for work on public holidays (for example, at least time‑and‑a‑half or double time) or to grant an additional paid day off in lieu. Because statutory rules and common practice can differ by sector, the safest approach is to set out your holiday‑work and overtime rules in writing, apply them consistently, and verify that your approach aligns with current Liberian labour standards.

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