2025 Holidays - Cook Islands

Cook Islands Public Holiday Observance Rules

1. When a Public Holiday Falls on a Sunday

- Monday Replacement: In many cases, if a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the holiday-in-lieu. This is especially true for major holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s Day.

- Government confirmation: Each year’s official holiday schedule (Gazette Notice) will confirm whether a Sunday holiday shifts to Monday.

- Employer compliance: If Monday is declared the holiday-in-lieu, employers must treat that Monday as a public holiday. Employees who work that Monday are entitled to appropriate holiday pay or time off in lieu, as required by Cook Islands labor laws.

2. When a Public Holiday Falls on a Saturday

- Occasional shift: For some holidays (e.g., Christmas, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Day), if they fall on a Saturday, the holiday may shift to the following Monday. This follows a similar rationale as Sunday “Mondayisation.”

- No universal rule: Not all holidays automatically shift; the government may decide on a case-by-case basis.

- Compensation: Employees who work on a Saturday public holiday (if it remains on Saturday) are entitled to holiday pay or compensatory rest in line with employment standards.

3. Bridge Holidays (Long Weekends)

- No blanket bridging: There is no statutory requirement to create a long weekend if a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday.

- Government determinations: The Cook Islands government may occasionally announce additional rest days to extend a holiday period, but this is done on an ad hoc basis and published in official notices.

- Employer policies: Some private sector employers may grant extra days off, but this is at their discretion rather than required by law.

4. Special Cases for Public Holidays

- Local holidays: Alongside internationally recognized holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc.), the Cook Islands celebrates local events such as Constitution Day (4 August) and Rarotonga Gospel Day (fourth Monday in July). If these fall on weekends, the government may shift observance to a weekday.

- Religious observances: Good Friday and Easter Monday are fixed to their respective dates (Friday and Monday). If they coincide with a weekend, the holiday typically stays on that Friday or Monday.

- Ad hoc declarations: Occasionally, one-off public holidays are declared (e.g., significant national events). Any weekend-to-weekday shift is specified at the time of the announcement.

5. Additional Notes

- Official publication: Each year, the government issues a Gazette Notice listing all public holidays and clarifying if any weekend holidays shift to Mondays (or another weekday).

- Employment law: Workers required to work on a public holiday must generally receive premium pay or a day off in lieu, according to the Cook Islands labor legislation.

- Flexibility: Employers may offer more generous holiday policies (e.g., bridging days) than the legal minimum, but these exceed statutory requirements.

- Verification: For the most accurate, up-to-date information, consult the annual official holiday schedule or relevant Ministry announcements.