Mondayisation 2026

After several years without needing to think about it, Mondayisation returns in 2026.

The last time we experienced Mondayisation was in 2022/2023. Since then, most public holidays have conveniently fallen on weekdays. In 2026, however, we begin another cycle of public holidays that fall on weekends and are therefore observed on a Monday.*

The first example is Anzac Day 2026, which falls on a Saturday and is observed on Monday 27 April.

This is often where the confusion starts.
Is Saturday paid as a public holiday, or is Monday?

Whether an employee is paid for Saturday or Monday comes down to which day is an otherwise working day for the employee.

For industries that work regular Monday to Friday weeks only, this is straightforward. The public holiday is the Monday. For other industries that work across all seven days, it is often not that clear.

There is no strict definition of otherwise working day set out in legislation, and there is no prescribed formula for determining whether the day would have been an otherwise working day for a particular employee. It is up to the company to decide how it makes that determination, which can result in disputes and countless queries.

To be clear, there is no requirement for an employee to be paid for both days, even if both days are worked. One is determined to be a public holiday, and one is a normal working day. It is the work pattern or roster that determines this, not the employee.

Examples of Mondayisation for Seven-Day Schedules

To avoid confusion, below are examples of how Mondayisation may apply for employees who work across seven days:

• If an employee usually works on a Saturday, then Saturday is the public holiday.
• If the employee always works Saturday and sometimes works Monday, Saturday remains the public holiday.
• If the employee sometimes works Saturday but always works Monday, Monday is the public holiday.
• If the employee normally works Saturday but has the day off, Saturday is still the public holiday. If they then work Monday, Monday is treated as a normal working day and is not paid as a public holiday worked.
• If the employee normally works Monday but works Saturday instead, Monday remains the public holiday, not Saturday. (Check with Stephan)
• If the employee normally works Monday but works Saturday instead and has Monday off, Monday is the public holiday for the employee. (Check with Stephan)

These examples highlight the number of possible permutations when determining which day is deemed to be the public holiday for an individual employee. The list above is not exhaustive.

System Configuration & Payroll Considerations

A well-configured rostering or payroll system will generally contain rules for determining which day is treated as the public holiday. However, systems should not be relied upon without review.

A spot check of several employees and scenarios will confirm whether the system is correctly identifying the public holiday. If it is not, this may indicate:

• A configuration issue
• Incomplete roster or work pattern information
• System capability limitations

If you are unsure whether your system is making the correct determination, it is worth reviewing this ahead of the affected public holidays.

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*This pattern continues with 26 December 2026 and 2 January 2027, both of which fall on a Saturday. In 2027, Waitangi Day falls on a Saturday, Anzac Day falls on a Sunday, and both Christmas and New Year public holidays fall on the weekend, introducing both Mondayisation and Tuesdayisation.

For further guidance, Employment New Zealand provides a public holiday calculator to help determine which day is treated as the public holiday when it falls on a weekend:

When a public holiday falls on a weekend | Employment New Zealand