Czech holidays and bridging days: what the law gives, what the office does

In Czechia, a public holiday that falls on a Sunday is simply lost. Nobody gets the Monday off in compensation, and employers do not owe one. That rule sits oddly with arrivals from countries where a Saturday holiday moves to Friday, and it explains why people here watch the calendar the way farmers watch the weather.

This article is about the practical effect of holidays on a job: what the Labour Code gives, how pay works and what the bridging-day habit is. For the meaning of each holiday, see our companion piece on Czech public holidays explained, which covers the history. Here the subject is work.

The statutory days

The Czech public holidays are set by law (Act No. 245/2000 Coll.). There are 13 of them: 1 January, Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, 5 July, 6 July, 28 September, 28 October, 17 November, 24 December, 25 December and 26 December. Good Friday and Easter Monday move with Easter. The rest are fixed dates. Three of them cluster around Christmas.

The weekday on which each falls changes each year, which changes how generous the calendar is. The same list gives a rich year in one case and a thin one in another.

Pay when the holiday falls on a working day

If a public holiday falls on a day when you would normally work, you do not lose pay. For employees on a monthly salary the salary simply continues. For employees paid by the hour or by output, the employer pays wage compensation equal to average earnings for the hours lost, under the Labour Code (Act No. 262/2006 Coll.; as of 2026; check the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs). The holiday is not counted as annual leave.

If the holiday falls on a day off, such as a Saturday, there is no extra. This is the rule that surprises people. The year of 2027 shows it: 1 May and 8 May both fall on a Saturday, so neither brings a weekday off, and the Christmas run from 24 December ends on a weekend.

Working on a public holiday

Some jobs run through holidays: hospitals, transport, hotels, restaurants, shops that are allowed to open. An employee who works on a public holiday is entitled to compensatory time off or to a bonus of at least 100 percent of average earnings on top of the wage (as of 2026; check the State Labour Inspection Office). The employer cannot order an employee to work on a holiday arbitrarily: work on a public holiday is restricted to the categories of operation that the law allows, and in other cases the employer needs the employee's agreement.

Shops are a separate case. Larger retail premises are legally required to close on a number of public holidays, while small shops, petrol stations and some other categories are exempt. The rules are in a separate act. Our holiday explainer covers shop opening in more detail.

Annual leave and bridging days

Annual leave is separate. A private-sector employee has at least four weeks a year, and employees of the state and municipalities five weeks, with teachers having eight (as of 2026; check the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs). Leave is counted in hours since 2021. The employer sets the schedule, usually giving at least 14 days' notice, and holiday cannot be paid out while the job lasts. For details, see Czech working hours, overtime and holidays.

A bridging day (most, literally "bridge") is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. When a holiday falls on a Thursday, Friday is the bridge. When it falls on a Tuesday, Monday is. Employees often take leave on the bridge day to enjoy a long break. This is a habit, not a right.

What the law does give is the following. The employer decides the leave schedule, so if you want a bridge day, ask early. The employer may also order leave on set days for operational reasons, within the limits of the Labour Code. A company that closes on the bridge day will usually announce it months ahead, in the same way it announces summer closure. Some employers give an extra day as a company benefit; that is a matter of the contract or internal rules.

Which years are generous

The weekday pattern decides everything, and the same holidays can produce long breaks in one year and almost none in another. In 2027, for example, 28 September is a Tuesday and 28 October is a Thursday, so each invites a bridge day: taking Monday 27 September or Friday 29 October turns a single holiday into a four-day break. The two May holidays fall on a Saturday, so they give nothing. Easter 2027 falls on 28 March, and Good Friday and Easter Monday frame the weekend without any leave at all.

The practical conclusion is to look at the calendar for the next year in September or October, when the school and company calendars are being set, and to plan leave around the bridges before everyone else does.

Part-time and shift workers

The rules work the same for part-time staff, but the effect differs. A part-time employee whose rota includes the holiday is paid for the hours lost, while one whose rota does not include it loses nothing and gains nothing. Shift workers should check how the rota treats a holiday, because a shift on a public holiday earns the supplement and a shift lost to a holiday earns compensation. Employees on agreements outside employment, such as a DPP, are in a different position: a holiday that falls on a day they were due to work may mean no work and no pay, depending on the agreement, so read it.

Remember also that Good Friday and Easter Monday always fall on weekdays, so they reliably take two working days out of the year, while fixed-date holidays can vanish into a weekend. If you are comparing the number of days off between employers, count public holidays, annual leave and any company days separately.

School holidays and childcare

Public holidays are not school holidays. Schools have their own calendar, and a parent who works must plan childcare for school breaks that are not public holidays. See how Czech public schools work for the school calendar. Employers know this, and summer is when most people take the longest leave.

Planning with international colleagues

Holidays and bridging days are a scheduling fact, not a cultural quirk. An international team working with colleagues here should check the Czech calendar and ask about company closures before setting deadlines, in the same way a Czech team would check a holiday in another country. See Czech workplace culture for newcomers for the wider picture.

Frequently asked questions

If a holiday falls on a Sunday, do I get a day off?

No. The law does not provide a day in lieu.

Do I lose pay on a public holiday?

No, if the holiday falls on a day you would have worked. Salary continues, or hourly workers receive wage compensation.

Is the Friday after a Thursday holiday a day off?

Not by law. It is a working day unless your employer closes or you take leave.

What do I get for working on a public holiday?

Compensatory time off or a bonus of at least 100 percent of average earnings.

Open next year's calendar now, mark the bridging days and ask your manager which of them the company will treat as closed.

This is a general explainer, not legal or tax advice.