#CostaRica 🇨🇷 #BDS_LaborAlert: Legal Considerations for the Enjoyment of the August 31st Holiday
This month we will have another holiday in Costa Rica: August 31st which celebrates "Black Person...
April 2025 includes three mandatory paid public holidays: Friday, April 11 (Juan Santamaría Day), and Thursday, April 17, and Friday, April 18 (Holy Thursday and Good Friday), in accordance with Article 148 of the Labor Code.
Employees considering the possibility of taking a long weekend by extending their leave to cover the entire Holy Week may do so by requesting vacation time from their employers. However, it should be noted that, for this year, there is no legal provision allowing the transfer of public holidays to a different date.
Proper Compensation for Mandatory Paid Public Holidays:
- Weekly wages in non-commercial activities: Employers must pay the salary for the days worked and add an extra day for each public holiday. If the employee works on the holiday, they are entitled to double pay.
- Monthly, biweekly, or weekly wages in commercial activities: The salary already includes public holidays. If the employee works on a public holiday, they are entitled to an additional day’s pay. Furthermore, any overtime worked on these days must be paid at triple the regular hourly rate.
It must be reminded that, under the Labor Code, the three specified days are mandatory paid public holidays for employees and must, in principle, be granted as days off, save for the exceptional cases under Articles 150 and 151, where the employer may require employees to work, provided prior notice is given.
We can assist you if you have any questions regarding the specific legal provisions for the proper handling of public holidays. Contact us.
