Labour Day 2026 is Monday 26 October. It's a national public holiday, so anyone who works Monday to Friday gets a three-day weekend from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 October.
What Labour Day is
Labour Day commemorates the fight for the eight-hour working day. It's one of New Zealand's 11 national public holidays.
| Year | Labour Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday 26 October |
| 2027 | Monday 25 October |
Hawke's Bay and Marlborough get a bonus day
Two regional anniversary days are tied to Labour Day, one either side of it.
- Hawke's Bay: anniversary day is the Friday before Labour Day. In 2026 that's Friday 23 October, so Hawke's Bay gets a four-day weekend from Friday to Monday.
- Marlborough: anniversary day is the first Monday after Labour Day. In 2026 that's Monday 2 November, so Marlborough gets two long weekends in a row.
Anniversary days are set by province. Employment New Zealand says to check with your local council if you're not sure which one you get.
Working on Labour Day
Some people work on public holidays, in shops, hospitals, hospitality and plenty of other jobs. What you're paid, and whether you get another day off in return, is covered by the Holidays Act 2003. Employment New Zealand's public holidays guide explains the rules, and it's linked at the bottom of this page.
The next public holidays after Labour Day
| Holiday | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Marlborough Anniversary Day | Mon 2 Nov 2026 | Marlborough |
| Canterbury Anniversary (Show Day) | Fri 13 Nov 2026 | Canterbury |
| Westland and Chatham Islands anniversary days | Mon 30 Nov 2026 | Westland, Chatham Islands |
| Christmas Day | Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Everywhere |
| Boxing Day | Mon 28 Dec 2026 (falls on Sat 26 Dec) | Everywhere |
| New Year's Day | Fri 1 Jan 2027 | Everywhere |
| Day after New Year's Day | Mon 4 Jan 2027 (falls on Sat 2 Jan) | Everywhere |
Boxing Day and the day after New Year's both fall on a Saturday. If you don't normally work Saturdays, your day off moves to the Monday. That's Mondayisation.
See every public holiday for 2026 and 2027, with a countdown.
Open the public holidays tool →Working days around Labour Day
October 2026 has 21 working days once weekends and Labour Day are taken out. Hawke's Bay has 20, because of its anniversary day. November 2026 has 21 working days in most of the country, and 20 in Canterbury, Marlborough, Westland and the Chatham Islands.
Common questions
When is Labour Day 2026?
Monday 26 October 2026.
When is Labour Day 2027?
Monday 25 October 2027.
Is Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day before or after Labour Day?
Before. It's the Friday before Labour Day, which is Friday 23 October in 2026.
When is the next public holiday after Labour Day?
For most of the country it's Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026. Marlborough, Canterbury, Westland and the Chatham Islands have anniversary days in November first.
Sources: Employment New Zealand, Public holidays and anniversary dates and When a public holiday falls on a weekend. Dates checked October 2026.