Labour Dept. clarifies holiday pay rates
It’s that time of Holy week when people’s minds are already on holiday even though their bodies may not leave town until Thursday afternoon. But for a growing number of employees and employers–particularly in the burgeoning tourist sector–the long Easter weekend requires the mind of an Einstein just to figure out the proper paycheck. This morning News Five’s Stewart Krohn visited the Labour Department where labour officer Dale Trujeque gave the definitive explanation. Employers and employees are advised to please press the record button on their VCR.
Dale Trujeque, Labour Officer
“Let me clarify first that it’s a 3 day holiday weekend. The holidays are Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Monday. People who normally work Sunday as a regular day, it is a regular day, I need to clarify that straight up. The law regarding the Good Friday and Easter Monday is that if the day is a regular for you and you work Good Friday and Easter Monday, your supposed to get your regular day’s pay. In addition to that you will be paid for the hours worked at double time.”
Stewart Krohn, Reporting
“So what some employers are saying, particularly San Pedro in the tourism industry, who have to work for those days because there are plenty of tourists out there. They say that their workers are in fact getting what amounts to triple time pay for those days and that’s not fair somehow. What does your office have to say about that?”
Dale Trujeque
“Okay well we can’t really comment because we are doing a report based on a request by an employers out for exemptions on the sections of law that pertain to overtime and that’s the employer exercising a right he has within the law. So I can’t really comment on that. What we can say is yes they may be paying triple time in some cases, but that is the way the law is right now. They have been doing it for many years and there has been an increase in tourist arrivals in the country so they may at the same time be generating the revenue needed to pay out the money. Regarding Holy Saturday, I want to finish with the way that pay should be done. They are to pay regular day pay for Holy Saturday, if it is a regular day for the worker, and for the hours worked, time and a half.”
Stewart Krohn
“So let me get this straight them, if Saturday is a day that you normally work, part of your shift that you work a Saturday. And if you work it this Saturday, you are to get your regular pay plus an additional time and a half.”
Dale Trujeque
“Right the additional time and a half is for the hours actually worked. For Good Friday and Easter Monday is double time for the hours actually worked.”
Stewart Krohn
“And what about Easter Sunday?”
Dale Trujeque
“Easter Sunday is not a holiday, the holiday is Easter Monday.”
If you’re still confused just remember that Friday is regular pay plus a bonus of two times the hourly or daily rate. On Saturday it’s regular pay plus time and a half, on Sunday regular pay and nothing extra. And on Monday its regular pay plus double time. There are however, exceptions. If your job is defined as belonging to management you do not qualify for extra holiday pay. Likewise if your work is within the shop assistant category not only do you not get any extra pay but you may also be required to work over the holidays if those days are part of your regular schedule. And if you’re still confused, even after replaying the tape, call the nearest office of the Labour Department. By the way…they’ll be closed from Friday through Monday.
