Minister Agni Deo Singh

The Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations is reminding employers who operate during this Easter weekend to pay workers their public holiday pay.

Minister Agni Deo Singh says according to the Employment Relations Act 2007, a worker must be paid for each public holiday for the number of hours the worker would have normally worked on that day, had it not been a public holiday.

He says if a worker is employed on Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday, then a worker is entitled to double pay.

Singh adds if a worker does not work during the public holiday and has worked the normal working day before and after the public holiday, then the worker is entitled to a single public holiday pay.

The Minister says if a worker is unable to work on the normal working day before and after the public holiday, then they must provide a valid reason or a medical certificate to be entitled to a public holiday pay.

According to Singh, both workers and employers must clearly understand the rationale behind the public holiday pay entitlement as per the Employment Relations Act (ERA) 2007 and must contact the nearest Ministry of Employment office for any clarifications.