Public Holiday Calendar Guide for Malawi
Malawi’s Public Holidays Act lists national holidays and sets a substitution rule for most holidays that fall on a weekend. The Employment Act sets out paid leave and remuneration rules for employees who work on public holidays.[1][2]
How Malawi’s Public Holidays Are Established
The Public Holidays Act requires public offices and banks to observe the days in its Schedule. The listed holidays include New Year’s Day, John Chilembwe Day, Martyrs’ Day, Good Friday, the Saturday following Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Kamuzu Day, Independence Day, Mother’s Day, Eid al-Fitr and Christmas Day.[1]
The Minister may amend the Schedule or declare an additional or substitute public holiday by an order published in the Gazette. A declaration may apply throughout Malawi or in a specified district, area or part of the country.[1]
Weekend Substitution Rules
When a scheduled holiday other than the Saturday following Good Friday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the next succeeding day that is neither a Sunday nor already a public holiday becomes a public holiday. The scheduled day then ceases to be a public holiday for that year.[1]
The Saturday following Good Friday is expressly excluded from this substitution rule. The law therefore does not simply move every weekend holiday to the following Monday.[1]
National Commemorations and Fixed Dates
The Schedule gives fixed dates for several observances: John Chilembwe Day is 15 January, Martyrs’ Day is 3 March, Labour Day is 1 May, Kamuzu Day is 14 May, Independence Day is 6 July, and Mother’s Day is 15 October.[1]
Other scheduled observances include New Year’s Day and Christmas Day, as well as the Easter holidays and Eid al-Fitr.[1]
Easter and Eid al-Fitr
Good Friday, the Saturday following Good Friday and Easter Monday are all listed as public holidays. Their civil-calendar dates change from year to year, so check the relevant annual calendar for exact dates.[1]
Eid al-Fitr is also named in the statutory Schedule. Consult an official announcement or annual calendar for its observance details.[1]
Paid Leave on Public Holidays
Under the Employment Act, an employee who is not required to work on a public holiday is entitled to leave with full pay, subject to statutory conditions. For example, an employee who is absent without reasonable cause on the preceding working day is not entitled to payment for the holiday.[2]
If a public holiday falls during an employee’s annual leave on a day that would otherwise have been an ordinary working day, the leave period must be extended by one working day with full pay.[2]
Pay for Working on a Public Holiday
The Employment Act classifies work on a public holiday as holiday overtime and sets a minimum rate of twice the normal hourly rate for each hour of holiday overtime.[2]
The Act also says that each hour worked on a public holiday is paid in addition to the day’s pay due under its holiday-pay rules. Hours beyond the employee’s normal working hours are paid at twice the hourly rate; special conditions also apply when holiday pay is withheld because of an unjustified absence before the holiday.[2]
Government Services on Public Holidays
A public holiday does not necessarily close every government office. The Public Holidays Act allows a department head to open offices or works and require government employees to perform duties on a public holiday.[1]
Frequently Asked Questions about Holidays in Malawi
What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend in Malawi?
For a scheduled holiday other than the Saturday following Good Friday, the next succeeding day that is neither a Sunday nor already a public holiday becomes the public holiday. The original scheduled day then ceases to be a public holiday for that year.[1]
Is Eid al-Fitr a public holiday in Malawi?
Yes. Eid al-Fitr is included in the Schedule to the Public Holidays Act. Check an official announcement or annual calendar for its observance details.[1]
Is the Saturday after Good Friday a public holiday?
Yes. The Public Holidays Act lists it separately and excludes it from the usual weekend-substitution rule.[1]
Are employees paid when they do not work on a public holiday?
Generally, an employee who is not required to work is entitled to leave with full pay. The Employment Act sets conditions, including rules about unjustified absence before the holiday.[2]
Can Malawi declare an additional public holiday?
Yes. The Minister may declare an additional or substitute holiday by an order published in the Gazette, for all of Malawi or a specified locality.[1]
Sources
- Public Holidays Act- MalawiLII
- MALAWI EMPLOYMENT ACT 2000 No. 6 of 2000- Ministry of Labour, Malawi