Pursuant to Law No. 1118, which declares Mother’s Day a national holiday, published in the Official Gazette No. 92 of May 20, 2022, and based on the official communication issued by the Ministry of Labor (MITRAB) on May 20, 2026, we remind employers and workers that May 30 (Nicaraguan Mother’s Day) is a mandatory paid national holiday with paid leave and salary, in accordance with the amendment to Article 66 of the Labor Code.
The following considerations should be taken into account regarding this national holiday:
- The Ministry of Labor (MITRAB) has declared Saturday, May 30, 2026, a mandatory paid national holiday for all employees in the country. Regular business operations must resume on Monday, June 1, 2026.
- In the private sector, the official communication establishes that employers and workers must follow customary company practices or existing mutual agreements, taking into account that the only mandatory national holiday is Saturday, May 30, 2026. Consequently, any special celebration held prior to the holiday must be supported by the applicable company practice, the company’s internal policies, or agreements between the parties.
- Pursuant to Article 68 of the Labor Code, when a national holiday falls on the employee’s seventh day of rest or weekly day off, such rest day must be compensated. Accordingly, employers whose regular work schedules designate Saturday as the weekly day of rest or seventh day must grant the corresponding compensation.
- A different situation applies to workplaces where Saturday is considered a regular working day, whether as a full workday, a half-day schedule, or an additional day off resulting from work schedules performed from Monday through Friday. In such cases, the national holiday retains its mandatory and paid nature, without any compensatory effect. If employees work on that day, the hours worked must be compensated in accordance with the legal regime applicable to overtime work performed on a mandatory national holiday.
- Pursuant to Article 69 of the Labor Code, exceptions apply to activities that cannot be interrupted due to their nature or the needs they serve, where suspension of such activities could affect the country’s economic, social, or security interests. In cases where employees work during the holiday, the corresponding legal treatment applicable to work performed on a mandatory national holiday must be observed.
The official MITRAB communication is attached. If you wish to review it, please click here.