One of your part-time hires asks whether they get paid for next week's public holiday. You are not sure, and the honest answer changes with the country they work in. Do part-time employees get holiday pay? Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and getting it wrong is how a small team ends up with a compliance claim.
The rule is rarely federal and almost always local. Ontop is a global payroll and payments platform that lets companies hire and pay teams in 150+ countries, so you can handle holiday pay and compliance without a lawyer in every market. Here is how it actually works, country by country and calculation by calculation.
Key takeaways
- No universal law mandates holiday pay for part-time employees; it depends on local law and company policy.
- In most countries that give holiday pay to full-time staff, part-time employees are entitled to it on a pro-rata basis.
- The United States has no federal holiday pay mandate, according to the US Department of Labor; it is set by company policy.
- The United Kingdom, Australia, and most of the European Union require pro-rata holiday entitlement for part-time workers by law.
- Pro-rata is simple math: part-time hours divided by full-time hours, times the full-time entitlement.
- Clear, written, consistently applied policy is what keeps you compliant and out of discrimination claims.
- Ontop automates pro-rata calculations and pays part-time workers correctly across countries, in a currency they control.
Do part-time employees get holiday pay?
Sometimes. There is no universal rule: entitlement depends on the country and your company policy. In most places, if full-time employees receive holiday pay, part-time employees must receive a proportional share. Where the law is silent, your written policy decides, and it must apply to everyone equally to avoid discrimination claims.
The safest mental model is this: assume part-time staff are entitled to the same benefits as full-time staff, scaled to their hours, unless local law clearly says otherwise. That posture keeps you compliant almost everywhere and fair everywhere.
What are the types of holiday pay?
There are three common forms, and your policy should name which ones apply. Paid time off gives regular wages for a recognized holiday not worked. Premium pay is a higher rate, often time and a half, for working on a holiday. A substitute holiday is an alternative day off when someone works the holiday itself.
Most disputes come from mixing these up. Decide, in writing, which holidays are paid, at what rate, and what happens when someone works them.
What does the law say by country?
It splits into two camps: countries that mandate pro-rata holiday pay, and countries that leave it to policy. The United States sets no federal requirement, according to the US Department of Labor, while the United Kingdom, Australia, and most EU members require part-time workers to receive holiday entitlement proportional to their hours.
| Country | Legal requirement | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| United States | None federally | Company policy |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Pro-rata by hours |
| Australia | Yes | Pro-rata (NES) |
| European Union | Yes | Pro-rata (Directive) |
| Canada | Yes | Varies by province |
United States
There is no federal holiday pay mandate, according to the US Department of Labor. Holiday pay is set by company policy, usually documented in the employee handbook. A few states regulate work on certain holidays, but for most employers the rule is simply the rule you write down. If you offer it to full-time staff, treat part-time staff proportionally to avoid discrimination exposure.
United Kingdom
Part-time workers are legally entitled to the same holiday rights as full-time staff, calculated proportionally to the hours they work, according to UK government guidance on holiday entitlement. If public holidays are part of the full-time package, part-time staff receive a fair share of them too.
Australia
Under the National Employment Standards, part-time employees receive paid holidays calculated on their ordinary hours. Entitlement is adjusted to the days or hours they actually work.
European Union and Canada
Most EU members require pro-rata holiday entitlement for part-time workers under the EU Part-time Work Directive. In Canada, rules vary by province, but the pro-rata principle is the safe default across the board.
How do you calculate pro-rata holiday pay?
Divide the part-time hours by the full-time hours, then multiply by the full-time holiday entitlement. Someone working 20 hours against a 40-hour week gets half the paid holidays. Keep the formula visible in the contract so there is no dispute later.
A worked example
Full-time is 40 hours a week with 10 paid holidays a year. Your part-time hire works 24 hours a week. Their entitlement is 24 divided by 40, times 10, which is 6 paid holidays a year. Simple, defensible, and easy to explain on payday.
What if their schedule changes?
Recalculate. Holiday entitlement follows actual hours, so update it whenever the schedule or employment status changes, and note the change in your records.
What should employers do to stay compliant?
Write the policy down, apply it consistently, and keep records. Communicate it at onboarding, document every change, and review it when local law shifts. The gap between what you promised and what you paid is where claims start, and inconsistency between two similar employees is where discrimination claims start. You can compare what compliant global employment costs on the pricing page.
How do you pay part-time workers across countries?
Pay each worker correctly for their jurisdiction, on time, in a currency they control. Manual pro-rata math across borders, in different currencies, on different holiday calendars, is exactly where mistakes and late payments creep in. Automating the calculation removes the error, and paying into an account the worker controls removes the friction. An Ontop Global Account lets workers receive and hold their pay, and Paycheck Advance covers the gap when a cycle runs long.
Frequently asked questions
Do part-time employees always get holiday pay?
No. It depends on local law and company policy. In many countries, if full-time staff get it, part-time staff receive a proportional share.
How is holiday pay calculated for part-time staff?
On a pro-rata basis: part-time hours divided by full-time hours, times the full-time entitlement.
Is premium pay for working a holiday required?
In most jurisdictions no. Premium pay is usually company policy, not law, so it should be spelled out in your handbook.
Does the US require holiday pay?
Not federally, according to the US Department of Labor. It is set by employer policy, with limited state-level exceptions.
Can I offer different holiday pay to part-time and full-time staff?
You can differ by hours through pro-rata, but not by unequal treatment for the same work, which invites discrimination claims. Scale the benefit, do not withhold it.
Closing thoughts
Holiday pay for part-time employees is a policy decision in some countries and a legal duty in others. Write it down, apply it evenly, scale it by hours, and pay it correctly, and it stays a non-issue. Leave it vague, and it becomes a claim.
Book a demo to see how Ontop handles holiday pay and global payroll compliance.
