Boxing Day in Uganda
Uganda’s Public Holidays Act lists Boxing Day on 26 December and says statutory public holidays are observed throughout the country each year. The date follows Christmas Day, which the Act lists on 25 December.[1]
Legal status and date
The Public Holidays Act, which commenced in 1965, names Boxing Day in its schedule and sets its date as 26 December. It applies nationwide. The Act does not state a general rule shifting Boxing Day to another date when it falls on a weekend, so the listed date remains 26 December; the holiday calendar used here lists no substitute day.[1]
The statute includes Boxing Day alongside Christmas Day and other public holidays.[1]
Pay and time off
The Public Holidays Act requires employers to pay employees the full remuneration they would have received for a full day’s work on a non-holiday. If an employee works on the holiday, the Act requires additional remuneration for the work or leave with full pay in lieu. The rules therefore provide paid holiday treatment, while allowing work with the specified compensation or leave arrangement.[1]
Uganda’s Public Service Standing Orders list Boxing Day as a public holiday. They say government offices close on public holidays and public officers receive the holiday on full pay. If a public officer is kept on duty, the responsible officer must arrange another day off with full pay.[2]
Meaning and observance in Uganda
Boxing Day is a nationwide public holiday, with no prescribed way to observe it in Uganda.[1][2]
The holiday falls the day after Christmas Day in Uganda’s statutory calendar, placing it within the Christmas period.[1][3]
Closures and planning
Government offices are scheduled to close on public holidays under the Public Service Standing Orders. Check directly with banks, shops, restaurants, private businesses or transport services before making plans.[2]
Boxing Day in Uganda: FAQs
When is Boxing Day in Uganda?
It is listed on 26 December each year, the day after Christmas Day. The Public Holidays Act names both dates in its schedule.[1]
Is Boxing Day a paid day off?
The law provides full remuneration for the public holiday. Employees who work that day are entitled to additional pay for the work or leave with full pay in lieu, subject to the Act’s provisions.[1]
Do government offices close?
Yes. Uganda’s Public Service Standing Orders say government offices close on public holidays, including Boxing Day.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for Boxing Day in Uganda:
- Public Holidays Act- Uganda Legal Information Institute
- The Uganda Public Service Standing Orders- Ministry of Public Service, Uganda
- National Events and Calendar- Office of the Vice President of Uganda