This year, Lithuanian Independence Restoration Day will be celebrated on Saturday, so employees will not get an extra day off. However, most are entitled to a shorter working day on Friday.
“Before all public holidays, work is one hour shorter, and employees don’t need to make up for this time either before or after the holiday,” explained Ieva Povilaitienė, head of the Employment Law Group at TGS Baltic.
“This rule is enshrined in the Labour Code and must be applied by all employers, irrespective of the nature or field of the company’s activity,” she added.
This year, March 11 will be celebrated on Saturday, so most employees will work shorter hours on Friday. If employees normally work until 15:45 on Fridays, their weekend will start at 14:45.
“The same rule would apply to those who work shift work, and the public holiday is on Sunday. In such cases, people who work on Saturdays also would work shorter hours,” the lawyer said.
According to Povilaitienė, the exemption applies to employees who are working part-time. In this case, their working hours are not reduced before the public holiday.
With an increasing number of companies working a four-day week, the question arises as to how such organisations should work on the eve of a public holiday. According to the lawyer, in such a case, the decision whether to shorten the work day should be taken by the employer.
“Companies that work continuously and therefore cannot reduce the working time of each shift must pay extra for the hour that is not reduced,” Povilaitienė said.
The Labour Code applies to all employers, she stressed, so if the rules are violated and employees are required to work full-time before a public holiday, the employer may face administrative liability.
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