Most of us enjoy spending some downtime with our families and friends. Public Holidays can be good opportunities for everyone to do this, nannies included.

As an employer, you'll need to weigh up whether it works better for you to have your nanny work on a Public Holiday or not. We're all different and there are plenty of people who'd prefer to swap to a day off when most others are at work. It's all up for grabs.

What is likely to be non-negotiable is what you need to pay your nanny whether they work a Public Holiday or not. Why? Read to find out.

What Are the Public Holidays in New Zealand?

New Zealand has 11 Public Holidays every year and each region has a special anniversary day of its own as well. Here's what's coming up:

National Public Holidays in 2022

• Labour Day: Monday 24 October
• Christmas Day: Sunday: 25 December or Tuesday 27 December
• Boxing Day: Monday 26 December

National Public Holidays in 2023

• New Year’s Day: Sunday 1 January or Tuesday 3 January
• Day after New Year’s Day: Monday 2 January
• Waitangi Day: Monday 6 February
• Good Friday: Friday 7 April
• Easter Monday: Monday 10 April
• Anzac Day: Tuesday 25 April
• King’s Birthday: Monday 5 June
• Matariki: Friday 14 July
• Labour Day: Monday 23 October
• Christmas Day: Monday 25 December
• Boxing Day: Tuesday 26 December

Regional Anniversary Days in 2023

• Auckland: Monday 30 January
• Canterbury (South): Monday 25 September
• Canterbury: Friday 17 November
• Chatham Islands: Monday 27 November
• Hawke’s Bay: Friday 20 October
• Marlborough: Monday 30 October
• Nelson: Monday 30 January
• Otago: Monday 20 March
• Southland: Tuesday 11 April
• Taranaki: Monday 13 March
• Wellington: Monday 23 January
• Westland: Monday 4 December

How Does Nanny Payroll Work on Public Holidays and Anniversary Days?

More often than not, a nanny is likely to be an employee rather than a contractor. As an employee, they will have certain rights. One of these relates to Public Holidays.

You can only insist your nanny works a Public Holiday:

• If the day in question falls on a day that they would have otherwise worked
• And, if their employment agreement says they have to work on the Public Holiday

For the purposes of time off and extra payments, think of Anniversary Days as the same as Public Holidays for nannies. If your nanny doesn't work on a Public Holiday, you will still have to pay them as if they had worked.

If your nanny works on a Public Holiday, you will have to pay them time and a half. It doesn't matter if the Public Holiday would be their normal working day or not.

You can pay your nanny more than if you want to. Some employers put special rates in the contracts they have with their nannies to cover these days. If so, you would need to pay whichever is greater ie: time and a half or the special rate.

If your nanny works the Public Holiday and if it falls on a day they'd normally work, you will also have to give them an alternative day off.

What About Sickness and Regular Annual Leave?

If your nanny is sick or absent due to a bereavement on a Public Holiday that they would normally work, you would have to give them a paid day off.

Occasionally, a Public Holiday will fall on a Saturday or Sunday. If your nanny wouldn't normally work on those days, the Public Holiday gets moved to the following Monday or Tuesday. We call this "Mondayisation" or "Tuesdayisation." This can often happen on Christmas or Boxing Days as in 2022.

If a Public Holiday falls on a day when your nanny is on annual leave, you will still have to pay them if they would have normally worked on that day. They will also not lose a day's annual leave.

Christmas, New Year's and Easter can sometimes cause a bit of confusion. Public Holidays are very specific and it's important to remember that days like Easter Sunday and New Year's Eve are not Public Holidays, for example.

What Happens with Late Night Shifts and On-Call Agreements?

Some parents' circumstances may mean they need their nannies to work unsociable hours, some of which may fall on a Public Holiday. Public Holidays run from midnight to midnight. You would have to pay them time and a half for any hours worked during the Public Holiday along with a day off.

On-Call agreements are a little bit trickier. A lot is going to depend on:

• Whether your nanny actually gets called out during the Public Holiday in question
• How disruptive the on-call was eg: a nanny tied to being at home all day

A common sense approach that is fair for everyone is generally best. However, there may be legal requirements to consider. So, if on-calls are going to make up a significant part of your nanny's duties, it's a good idea to sort everything out in advance. Put the detail of the agreement you make in a contract.

How Do I Know Which Payment Rate to Use?

There are 2 key payment rates that you should know about as the employer of a nanny. These are Relevant Daily Pay (RDP) and Average Daily Pay (ADP).

We are getting into advanced nanny payroll territory here but it's worth taking a look at what each means. You can find out more about them here.

Get Help with Public Holidays for Nannies!

Are you sure you have the time (or patience) to work out what you should be paying your nanny for Public Holidays? If not, there is a solution. That's to outsource your nanny payroll to Pay the Nanny.

We have you covered, making all the required payments and keeping track of all your nanny's time off. Get in touch with us now and find out how Pay The Nanny can help so that you can relax every day, including on Public Holidays, knowing everything is in hand.