Public holidays have significant implications for employment and shop trading hours. It is important to note that if workers are required to work on a public holiday, they should be given equivalent time off on another working day. While shops can transact business during these days, there are special trading restrictions on Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, and before 1 pm on ANZAC day.
In some provinces, the city or district council may provide special exemptions to shops to transact business on Christmas Day and Good Friday to assist local tourists who may not be aware of the reasons for shop closures on these days.
There are two main types of holidays in New Zealand: statutory holidays and provincial holidays. Statutory holidays are those that are legislated by law, while provincial holidays commemorate the founding of a province or a particular settlement.
New Zealand’s statutory holidays include:
New Year’s Day,
the day after New Year’s Day,
Waitangi Day,
Good Friday,
Easter Sunday,
Easter Monday,
ANZAC Day,
Queen’s Birthday,
Christmas Day,
Boxing Day,
Labor Day.
Each province has a special day reserved to commemorate its founding, which is declared a holiday.