New Year’s Day in Malta
New Year’s Day falls on 1 January and is listed as a public holiday in Malta. Its local significance is chiefly legal: it is one of Malta’s paid public holidays, with specific employment entitlements when it falls on an employee’s rest day.[1][2]
A public holiday under Maltese law
Malta’s National Holidays and Other Public Holidays Act, Chapter 252, provides the legal framework for the country’s public holidays. The government’s list distinguishes national holidays with an asterisk; New Year’s Day appears as a public holiday without that mark.[1]
The date is fixed at 1 January. The government’s list and the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) both name New Year’s Day on that date.[1][2]
Paid time off and working on the holiday
DIER lists 14 paid holidays in a year and identifies 1 January as New Year’s Day. It says whole-time employees are entitled to national and public holidays with full pay; arrangements for an employee who works on a public holiday depend on the applicable Wage Regulation Order.[2]
Those orders can set different rates and entitlements for different sectors and work arrangements. Employees who need to know how a shift on New Year’s Day is paid should check the rules that apply to their job or ask DIER.[2][3]
When it falls on a rest day
A weekend date does not move New Year’s Day to another date. For whole-time employees, DIER says that when a national or public holiday falls on a Saturday, Sunday or an entitled weekly rest day, the employee receives an additional day of vacation leave during that calendar year. Part-time employees and full-time employees working reduced hours receive the entitlement on a pro-rata basis.[2]
DIER also explains that when a public holiday falls on a day the employee is not scheduled to work, the equivalent hours of one working day are added to vacation leave. This is an additional leave entitlement, rather than a replacement public-holiday date.[2]
Planning around New Year’s Day
The public-holiday designation does not establish the opening hours of every individual workplace or business. The official holiday and employment pages explain the holiday’s status and employment entitlements, but do not provide general opening schedules for shops, banks or transport. Visitors should check directly with the places and services they plan to use.[1][2]
New Year’s Day in Malta: FAQs
When is New Year’s Day in Malta?
Is New Year’s Day a public holiday in Malta?
Yes. Malta lists it as a public holiday. The government’s list marks national holidays separately, and New Year’s Day is not starred as one of them.[1]
Do employees get the day off with pay?
What happens if it falls on my weekly rest day?
For whole-time employees, DIER provides an additional day of vacation leave in the same calendar year when a public holiday falls on a Saturday, Sunday or entitled weekly rest day. Part-time and reduced-hours employees receive the entitlement pro rata.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for New Year's Day in Malta:
- Public Holidays in Malta- Government of Malta
- Vacation Leave- Department for Industrial and Employment Relations, Government of Malta
- Public Holiday Entitlements- Department for Industrial and Employment Relations, Government of Malta