Public holidays in Estonia: days off and pay

Which days are public holidays and the national holiday?

The national holiday and day off is 24 February – Independence Day, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia (PTS § 1) [1]. The public holidays and days off are (PTS § 2) [2]:

• 1 January – New Year's Day (uusaasta);
• Good Friday (suur reede);
• Easter Sunday (ülestõusmispühade 1. püha);
• 1 May – Spring Day (kevadpüha);
• Whit Sunday (nelipühade 1. püha);
• 23 June – Victory Day (võidupüha);
• 24 June – Midsummer Day (jaanipäev);
• 20 August – Day of Restoration of Independence (taasiseseisvumispäev);
• 24 December – Christmas Eve (jõululaupäev);
• 25 December – Christmas Day (esimene jõulupüha);
• 26 December – Boxing Day (teine jõulupüha).

Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Whit Sunday are listed without a fixed date (PTS § 2 p 2, 3 and 5) [2]. Holidays and days of national importance follow the Gregorian, or new, calendar (PTS § 4 lg 1) [4].

Days of national importance (riiklikud tähtpäevad), such as 2 February – the anniversary of the Tartu Peace Treaty or 16 November – Day of National Rebirth, are listed separately (PTS § 3) [7]. Unlike the national holiday and public holidays, the Act does not call them days off (PTS § 1; PTS § 2; PTS § 3) [1] [2] [7].

What other legal acts provide for public holidays and state holidays (riigipühad ja riiklikud pühad) applies to the national holiday as well (PTS § 4 lg 2) [4]. The public holiday rules of the Employment Contracts Act therefore also apply on 24 February.

How much is work on a public holiday paid?

If working time falls on a public holiday, the employer pays 2 times the wage for the work (TLS § 45 lg 2) [3]. The Supreme Court (Riigikohus) has explained that the employer pays double for work on the national holiday and public holidays even where the parties have agreed on summarised working time (Supreme Court ruling 3-2-1-69-17) [8].

The employer and the employee may agree that work on a public holiday is compensated by additional time off instead of double pay (TLS § 45 lg 3) [3]. Without such an agreement, the double wage applies.

With summarised working time, the Supreme Court's position also matters (Supreme Court ruling 3-2-1-69-17) [8]:

• the law does not require the employee's agreed working time to be reduced by the working time falling on the national holiday and public holidays when determining overtime;
• only working time exceeding the agreed working time at the end of the reference period counts as overtime, so work on a holiday is not overtime in itself.

When is the working day shortened?

The employer shortens the working day preceding New Year's Day, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, Victory Day and Christmas Eve by three hours (TLS § 53) [5]. So the working day before four holidays is shortened. The provision does not mention the working day before other public holidays, such as Spring Day or the Day of Restoration of Independence (TLS § 53) [5].

Shortening the working day is the employer's duty: the Act says that the employer shortens it (TLS § 53) [5]. The employer must ensure the agreed working and rest time and keep records of working time (TLS § 28 lg 2 p 4) [9].

Does a public holiday extend holiday leave?

Yes. The national holiday and public holidays are not counted as part of basic holiday leave (TLS § 54 lg 3) [6]. An employee's annual basic holiday is presumed to be 28 calendar days (TLS § 55) [10]; if a public holiday falls during the holiday, the holiday is extended by that day.

This is also reflected in holiday pay: when the average wage is calculated for basic holiday pay, the national holiday and public holidays are not counted as calendar days (regulation Keskmise töötasu maksmise tingimused ja kord – conditions and procedure for paying the average wage, § 4 lg 2) [11].

What happens to paydays and deadlines falling on a holiday?

If payday falls on a public holiday or a day off, payday is deemed to be the working day before the public holiday or day off (TLS § 33 lg 2) [12]. The wage must therefore be paid before the holiday.

Deadlines follow a different general rule: under the General Part of the Civil Code Act (tsiviilseadustiku üldosa seadus, TsÜS), if the due date for making a declaration of intent or performing an obligation falls on a public holiday or another day off, it is deemed to be the first working day after the day off (TsÜS § 136 lg 8) [13].

What the law says

• „24. veebruar – iseseisvuspäev, Eesti Vabariigi aastapäev.“ [1] (translation: 24 February – Independence Day, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia; PTS § 1) – the Act names it the national holiday and a day off.
• „Kui tööaeg langeb riigipühale, maksab tööandja töö eest 2-kordset töötasu.“ [3] (translation: if working time falls on a public holiday, the employer pays 2 times the wage for the work; TLS § 45 lg 2) – work on a public holiday is paid double.
• „Rahvuspüha suhtes kohaldatakse teistes õigusaktides riigipühade ja riiklike pühade kohta sätestatut.“ [4] (translation: what other legal acts provide for public holidays and state holidays applies to the national holiday; PTS § 4 lg 2) – the same rules apply on 24 February as on public holidays.
• „Uusaastale, Eesti Vabariigi aastapäevale, võidupühale ja jõululaupäevale eelnevat tööpäeva lühendab tööandja kolme tunni võrra.“ [5] (translation: the employer shortens the working day preceding New Year's Day, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, Victory Day and Christmas Eve by three hours; TLS § 53).
• „Käesoleva seaduse §-des 55–58 ettenähtud põhipuhkuse hulka ei arvata rahvuspüha ja riigipühi.“ [6] (translation: the national holiday and public holidays are not counted as part of the basic holiday provided for in §§ 55–58 of this Act; TLS § 54 lg 3) – holidays extend basic holiday leave.
• From 01.01.2027 the same subsection reads: „Käesoleva seaduse §-des 55, 57 ja 58 ettenähtud põhipuhkuse hulka ei arvata rahvuspüha ja riigipühi.“ [14] (translation: the national holiday and public holidays are not counted as part of the basic holiday provided for in §§ 55, 57 and 58 of this Act; TLS § 54 lg 3) – the reference to § 56 is dropped; the national holiday and public holidays are still not counted as part of the basic holiday provided for in §§ 55, 57 and 58.

What to do

1. Check which days are the national holiday and public holidays (PTS § 1; PTS § 2) [1] [2].
2. As an employer, shorten the working day before New Year's Day, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, Victory Day and Christmas Eve by three hours (TLS § 53) [5] and keep records of working time (TLS § 28 lg 2 p 4) [9].
3. If you work on a public holiday, check your payslip to make sure you were paid 2 times the wage for the work (TLS § 45 lg 2) [3], or that compensation by additional time off was agreed with you (TLS § 45 lg 3) [3].
4. When planning holiday leave, remember that the national holiday and public holidays are not counted as part of basic holiday (TLS § 54 lg 3) [6].
5. A dispute with the employer is resolved under the Employment Contracts Act and the Labour Dispute Resolution Act (töövaidluse lahendamise seadus, TvLS) (TLS § 114) [15]; applying to the labour dispute committee (töövaidluskomisjon) is free of state fees (TvLS § 15) [16].

Frequently asked questions

Is work on 24 February also paid double?

Yes. The rules for public holidays apply to the national holiday (PTS § 4 lg 2) [4], so the employer pays 2 times the wage for the work (TLS § 45 lg 2) [3].

Can the employer give time off instead of double pay?

Only by agreement: the employer and the employee may agree to compensate work on a public holiday with additional time off (TLS § 45 lg 3) [3].

Is the working day shortened before every public holiday?

No. The working day shortened by three hours is the one preceding New Year's Day, the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, Victory Day and Christmas Eve (TLS § 53) [5].

What if payday falls on a public holiday?

Payday is deemed to be the working day before the public holiday (TLS § 33 lg 2) [12].

With summarised working time, is the working-time norm reduced for holidays?

According to the Supreme Court, the law does not require the agreed working time to be reduced by the working time falling on the national holiday and public holidays when determining overtime; work on a holiday is paid double (Supreme Court ruling 3-2-1-69-17) [8].