Public Holidays

Public holidays and payroll can be a tricky combo – but we’re here to change that. This guide will help you to prepare your payroll for upcoming public holidays so that you can fill your long weekend with good things.

Public holidays and pay days

In order to understand how public holidays affect your payroll, it’s helpful to remember that Thankyou Payroll processes your pays the night before your set pay day.

This means you cannot have a pay day that lands after a public holiday because the banks are closed on these days.

For help changing your pay day, visit our Help Centre.

Too late to change your pay day? No stress – we offer an urgent, same day pay for an additional charge of $15.

Public holidays and planning ahead

No matter the holiday, the plan, or the pay day – we’ve got you covered.

All you need to do is set a reminder in your phone for when a public holiday is approaching and refer to the table below. It’s that simple.

Public holidays and pay processing

Due to the banks closing on public holidays, you may need to deposit your pay earlier than usual to make sure your employees get paid on time. This will depend on your pay day, your plan, and when the public holiday falls.

Let’s take Labour Day as an example, which falls on a Monday.

If your pay day is Thursday and you use the two day plan, you would normally deposit funds to Thankyou Payroll by 10pm on Monday. As banks are closed on Monday, you would need to deposit funds to Thankyou Payroll by 10pm on Friday instead.

Public Holidays and Timesheets

As an employer, you are required to record any public holidays that your employees take off and any that they work in their timesheet.

What do I do if my employee works on a public holiday?

If any of your employees work on a public holiday, you are legally required to pay them at ‘time and a half’ or 1.5 times their standard rate for this day.

If the public holiday is an otherwise working day, you also need to allocate an ‘Alternative Holiday’ to their balance.

What do I do if my employee takes a public holiday off?

This one’s easy. Simply record the public holidays taken in our system by using the ‘Public Holiday Off’ pay type in timesheets. This ensures your employee is paid the correct rate for the public holiday.

For guidance on how to make these changes in our system, visit our Help Centre.

Public holidays in Aotearoa New Zealand

New Years Day: Sunday 1st January 2023

Observed Tuesday 3rd January 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Thursday 5th January 2023.

Day After New Years Day: Monday 2nd January 2023

Observed Monday 2nd January 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Thursday 5th January 2023.

Waitangi Day: Monday 6th February 2023

Observed Monday 6th February 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Wednesday 8th February 2023.

Good Friday: Friday 7th April 2023

Observed Friday 7th April 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Wednesday 12th April 2023.

Easter Monday: Monday 10th April 2023

Observed Monday 10th April 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Wednesday 12th April 2023.

Anzac Day: Tuesday 25th April 2023

Observed Tuesday 25th April 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Thursday 27th April 2023.

Queen's Birthday: Monday 5th June 2023

Observed Monday 5th June 2023.

Your next possible pay day is Wednesday 7th June 2023.

Matariki: Friday 24th June 2022

Observed Friday 24th June 2022.

Your next possible pay day is Tuesday 28th June 2022.

Labour Day: Monday 24th October 2022

Observed Monday 24th October 2022.

Your next possible pay day is Wednesday 26th October 2022.

Christmas Day: Sunday 25th December 2022

Observed Tuesday 27th December 2022.

Your next possible pay day is Thursday 29th December 2022.

Boxing Day: Monday 26th December 2022

Observed Monday 26th December 2022.