Holiday premium pay tool
Holiday Pay Calculator
Estimate holiday pay, pay for hours worked on a holiday, overtime and total period earnings from the policy rates you enter.
Estimated pay
Holiday pay formula
Total pay = holiday credit + holiday-worked pay + other regular pay + other overtime pay.
Holiday credit = hourly rate × paid holiday hours not workedHoliday-worked pay = hourly rate × hours worked on the holiday × holiday multiplierOther regular pay = hourly rate × other regular hoursOther overtime pay = hourly rate × other overtime hours × overtime multiplier
The premium portion is the amount above straight-time pay for hours worked on the holiday: hourly rate × holiday-worked hours × max(holiday multiplier − 1, 0). It is already included in holiday-worked pay and must not be added again.
Checked examples
| Inputs | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| $20/hour; 8 paid holiday hours; 8 hours worked at 1.5×; 32 other regular hours | $160 + $240 + $640 | $1,040 total; $80 is the holiday premium above straight time |
| $25/hour; 6 holiday hours worked at 2×; 34 regular hours; 5 overtime hours at 1.5× | $300 + $850 + $187.50 | $1,337.50 total |
| $18.50/hour; 8 paid holiday hours; no hours worked | $18.50 × 8 | $148 holiday pay |
How to use the calculator
Enter only the pay components your employer or agreement actually provides. If you receive a normal paid-holiday credit and also work the holiday, enter both sets of hours. If working the holiday replaces that credit, set paid holiday hours not worked to 0. Treat every multiplier as the total rate: for example, 1.5 means the employee receives 150% of the regular hourly rate for those hours.
Important: holiday-pay rules are not universal. In the United States, private-employer holiday pay generally depends on employer policy, contract or collective-bargaining agreement; other countries and local rules may define holiday entitlement differently. This calculator does not determine legal eligibility or whether holiday hours count toward overtime.
Limits and assumptions
- The regular rate must be greater than 0 and no more than 1,000,000.
- Each hour field accepts 0 through 1,000 hours; at least one hour category must be greater than 0.
- Multipliers accept 0.01 through 10 and represent total pay rates.
- All amounts must use one currency. The selector changes display formatting only.
- The result is gross pay before taxes, deductions, benefits, bonuses or other premiums.
- The tool keeps holiday-worked hours and other overtime hours separate to avoid automatically applying two multipliers to the same hours.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 1.5 holiday multiplier mean?
It means each holiday hour worked is paid at 1.5 times the regular hourly rate. The extra premium above straight time is 0.5 times the regular rate for each of those hours.
Can I enter both paid holiday hours and hours worked?
Yes, but only if the applicable policy pays both a holiday credit and pay for actual work. Otherwise, enter 0 for the component that does not apply.
Does holiday pay count toward weekly overtime?
The answer depends on the governing rule and on whether the hours were worked. The calculator does not classify hours for statutory overtime; enter any separately determined overtime hours in the overtime field.
Does the calculator subtract taxes?
No. It estimates gross pay before withholding and deductions.
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