Which countries have fewer and more public holidays in the world
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Which countries have fewer and more public holidays in the world

Countries have fewer public holidays

Switzerland (7 public holidays depending on canton)

We’ve taken an interest in Switzerland’s statutory holidays. We were surprised to discover how much they vary from one canton to another! We looked into the cantons we’re interested in for 2023. Luzern has 15 days, Aargau 14 days, Zug 12 days, Zürich 11 days, Bern (the canton where we’ll be working) only has 10 days, and Geneva has 7 days – such a big difference!

Then, we looked into why this is the case. It turns out that many statutory holidays are religious in nature. Switzerland is predominantly either Catholic or Protestant. Catholic cantons have more holidays compared to Protestant cantons, which is why the holiday count varies so much.

United Kingdom (9 public holidays)

Bank Holidays are public holidays in the United Kingdom. Literally, it can be understood as days when banks cease their operations. In a country like the UK, which is a long-standing capitalist nation, if banks are closed, it often means that most commercial activities come to a halt, and people don’t have to go to work. Therefore, the term “Bank Holiday” came to represent public holidays.

In the UK, the regions of England and Wales typically have 8 statutory holidays each year. These include New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday, Summer Bank Holiday, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. However, in 2023, to celebrate the coronation ceremony of King Charles III, the entire UK will add an extra Bank Holiday called “Bank Holiday for the coronation of King Charles III.”

Canada (13 public holidays)

Canada has 13 public holidays each year, and some provinces also have special holidays. Taking British Columbia (BC) as an example, there is almost a long weekend nearly every month. There is no makeup day for holidays that fall on the weekend, so if a holiday falls on a weekend, the day off is typically moved to either the preceding Friday or the following Monday, providing an extra day off whenever possible.

Belgium (10 public holidays)

Belgium is a predominantly Catholic country, and most public holidays are related to religious events. We won’t go into the religious significance of each holiday here, but in total, Belgium has 10 public holidays each year, without any additional makeup days.

If a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, your annual leave balance is automatically increased by one day, which means you can choose any other day to make up for it.

Ireland (10 public holidays)

Every year, the bank holidays are the public holidays.

41 days of paid leave = 30 days of annual leave + 10 days of public holidays + 1 company day

If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, it automatically extends to the next day. So, if a public holiday falls on a Sunday this year, Monday will automatically become a holiday, and in Irish companies, you can come back to work on Tuesday.

A recent example is New Year’s Day this year. January 1st is a public holiday, but this year, New Year’s Day was on a Sunday. So, we had an extended holiday on January 2nd, and we returned to work on January 3rd!

Countries have more public holidays

Malaysia (18 to 20 public holidays)

Public Holidays: Minimum 11 days (We know Malaysia has many public holidays, but the national requirement is only around 11 days).

Within these 11 days, 5 days are particularly special and must be observed as holidays; employers cannot choose to operate on these days:

  • National Day (31/8), Malaysia Day (16/9), Labor Day (1/5), The birthday of the National Head of State, The birthday of the State Head

For the remaining 6 days, employers can choose from the following holidays for employees to take time off:

  • New Year’s Day (1/1), Lunar New Year (2 days), Malay New Year (2 days), Vesak Day, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, Christmas Day, Mawlid al-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday)

Specific states like Negeri Sembilan, Penang, and Sarawak have 19 days. Sabah and Terengganu have 20 days. Typically, Malaysian companies observe all 18-20 public holidays and provide them to employees.

Thailand (18 public holidays)

Thailand indeed has many holidays, including royal birthdays, Buddhist holidays, year-end and New Year holidays, and more. The specific holiday arrangements may vary from one company to another, but as long as they adhere to the government’s minimum required number of holidays for the year (usually 13 days), they are compliant. However, some companies often offer more holidays than the minimum requirement.

In Thailand, holidays often align with weekends, resulting in frequent long weekends. In 2023, Thailand will have a total of 18 public holidays and compensatory holidays.

If you know any country that should be on the list, please let us know and share your thoughts!

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