The Romanian government recently passed a new law introducing two additional annual paid public holidays on 6 January and 7 January for the feast days of the Epiphany and Saint John the Baptist, respectively.
Law no. 52/2023 entered into effect on 9 March 2023 and the new public holidays will apply to all employees in Romania starting from 2024.
Key details
Starting in 2024, the additional permanent public holidays will bring the total yearly number of public holidays in Romania to 16 days. According to the Romanian labor code, employees that are required to work on a public holiday by their employer are entitled to compensatory time off within 30 days of the worked public holiday. If the compensatory time off is not granted by the employer within the 30-day timeframe, the hours worked during a public holiday must be compensated at a minimum of 200% of regular pay.
Next steps
Employers should ensure compliance by amending their HR internal policies and practices, employment agreements and company-level collective bargaining agreements, as needed.
