Q COSTARICA — Employees required to work during Semana Santa or on April 11 th, the Día de Juan Santamaría holiday, must receive additional compensation in accordance with Costa Rican law.
The Código de Trabajo (Labor Code) establishes that Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and April 11 are mandatory paid holidays.
For those who receive monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly salaries in commercial activities, pay for these holidays is already included in their regular income.
For clarity, if an employee is paid monthly, they receive their regular salary plus an additional single daily rate for each holiday day worked. If paid weekly or by the hour, they receive double the regular rate for hours worked.
However, if they are required to work on these holidays, the law stipulates that they are entitled to double pay for each day actually worked, as part of their labor rights.
When work on these days includes time beyond the regular workday, overtime, the extra hours must be paid at a higher rate: Specifically, the law states that overtime is paid at a 50% increase over the regular rate, which implies higher holiday pay and a special calculation of overtime.
This year, current regulations do not allow for these holidays to be moved to other days; therefore, they must be observed exactly on the dates indicated on the calendar. This reinforces the mandatory nature of holidays and their observance within the legal framework.
Employers are obligated to correctly apply these provisions or face sanctions under the Labor Code.
The next ‘mandatory holiday in Costa Rica is May 1 or Labor Day, with the same rules applied.