#Nicaragua 🇳🇮 #BDS_Informs: September 14 and 15 National Public Holidays: Key Legal Provisions

In Nicaragua, September 14 commemorates the heroic Battle of San Jacinto, while September 15 marks Central American Independence Day. Both dates are mandatory national public holidays, with employees entitled to paid time off, pursuant to Article 66 of the Nicaraguan Labor Code.

According to the notice issued on September 2, 2026, by Minister of Labor Johana Vanessa Flores Jiménez, the following provisions apply:

• Public-sector employees will be granted leave deducted from their accrued vacation balance beginning at the end of the workday on Friday, September 11, 2026, and will resume their regular duties on Monday, September 21, 2026.
• Monday, September 14, and Tuesday, September 15, 2026, are paid national public holidays for all employees in the country, including those in the private sector. Employees who work on either of these days must receive overtime pay.
• In the private sector, employers and employees must follow established practices or agreements between the parties regarding vacation periods, without prejudice to the mandatory nature of the national public holidays. Accordingly, the leave granted to the public sector does not automatically extend to private companies.

Pursuant to Article 69 of the Labor Code, the following work may be performed on national public holidays, subject to the corresponding additional compensation:

• Activities that cannot be interrupted due to the nature of the needs they serve; activities required for technical reasons; pharmacy shifts; recreational establishments; and activities whose interruption would adversely affect the public interest, industry, or commerce.
• Work required to repair damages caused by force majeure or unforeseen events, provided that the repairs cannot be postponed.
• Work that, by its nature, can only be performed at specific times or under particular circumstances dependent on irregular natural phenomena.
• Work, industries, or businesses essential to meeting basic daily food needs.

If either holiday coincides with an employee’s scheduled day of rest, compensation must be provided in accordance with Article 68 of the Labor Code. This must be determined based on the weekly rest arrangement applicable to each employee.

The official MITRAB notice is attached for reference. To view it, click here.