Bank holidays in Hungary in 2019

A bank holiday is a day when the majority of people working in employment is not required to work. For people working on normal working hours (Monday through Friday), Saturdays and Sundays are rest days. Above that, there are 11 bank holidays and a few extra rest days in Hungary in 2019.

Hungarian bank holidays and rest days in 2019

1 January (Tuesday): New Year’s Day
15 March (Friday): commemoration of the revolution in 1848
19 April – 22 April (Friday – Monday): Good Friday through Easter Monday
1 May (Wednesday): Labor Day
9 –10 June (Sunday and Monday): Pentecost
19 August (Monday): rest day to make a 4 days long weekend 17 – 20 August
20 August (Tuesday): St. Stephen’s Day or the Day of the New Bread
23 October (Wednesday): commemoration of the revolution in 1956
1 November (Friday): All Hallows Day
24 December (Tuesday): rest day to make an extra long 6-day Christmas holiday 22 – 29 December
25 – 26 December (Wednesday – Thursday): 1^st and 2^nd day of Christmas
27 December (Friday): rest day to make an extra long 6-day Christmas holiday 22 – 29 December
1 January 2020 (Wednesday): New Year’s Day

In 2019, many bank holidays will be on a Wednesday, in the middle of the week, while Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday will all be work days. At the same time, if the holiday falls on any other day, Hungarian people usually prefer to have long weekends in exchange for a Saturday that would otherwise be a rest day. As a result, depending on which day of the week bank holidays are, the previous or the following day is granted a rest day by the government to make a long weekend for everyone. In that case, a Saturday is declared a work day instead, to keep the number of work days over the year the same.

Working Saturdays in Hungary in 2019

10 August (for the long weekend 17 – 20 August)
7 December (for a long Christmas holiday of 24 – 29 December)
14 December (for a long Christmas holiday of 24 – 29 December)

Special days which are not bank holidays

Please note: while only the above listed are bank holidays in Hungary, you should keep in mind that around the end of the year there are two “short” days, when most employees are allowed to leave early, shops close around noon, and even public transport switches to night mode around 4 p.m. These are:

24 December (Tuesday): Christmas Eve
31 December (Tuesday): New Year’s Eve

Please keep this in mind when planning work load in December 2019, since your Hungarian employees will probably want to leave early to spend time with their nearest and dearest, or they might want to take these days off.

Business on bank holidays in Hungary

The Hungary-based employees of your Hungarian company are regularly not going to work on bank holidays. Of course, you might still need them to work on these days – maybe because you are in a business that gives continuous service, like a restaurant. In that case, you will have to pay your employees increased wages (see our article on overtime payment).

Business on exchanged Saturdays in Hungary

Working Saturdays count as full work days. Regarding work schedules, public transportation timetables and shop opening hours, they are considered “Fridays” (while the calendar Friday the day before is considered a “Thursday”). So if your “9 to 5” employees usually leave early (e.g. around 2 p.m.) on the last weekdays, i.e. on regular Fridays, they will stay full time on this calendar Friday, and leave early on the working Saturday.

On working Saturdays, most employers are more lenient with employees. At many companies, working home office is encouraged, or work-related, but non-working events are organized, such as a competence training or a team-building activity.

At the same time, the employer may decide to waive their right to have employees working on these days. Alternatively, employers may also take these Saturdays as holidays from their own paid holidays, as if these were regular work days.

Seems complicated? Talk to your accountant

When in doubt, you can always consult your accountant or payroll advisor, who calculates the payrolls for you and your employees, and keeps tab on holidays, rest days, and working Saturdays. They will be able to help you calculate the budget if you need your employees work overtime, and have to pay wage supplements to them.

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