2025-12-23 09:00
publication
2025-12-23 09:00
This year, Christmas Eve is a public holiday for the first time. However, the regulations allow working on holidays in strictly defined cases. We check which industries are covered by exceptions and what consequences employers face for violating the new rules.
The amendment to the regulations introduces December 24 into the catalog of public holidays. This means that from 2025 employees employed under an employment contract will generally not work on Christmas Everetaining the right to remuneration.
Christmas Eve falls on Wednesday. Combined with the holidays on December 25 and 26, this gives you the opportunity to take a break of several days without having to take vacation leave. However, not all employees will take advantage of this opportunity.
Trade closed as on a non-trading Sunday
One of the most important changes is the inclusion of a full trading ban on Christmas Eve. Large stores, shopping malls and supermarkets will remain closed all day long, and not only in the afternoon as before.
However, the legislator left exceptions known from the regulations on Sunday trading restrictions. The following may be open: gas stations, pharmacies on duty, bakeries, confectioneries, post offices and small shops run personally by the owner.
Who will work despite Christmas Eve being off?
However, the new regulations allow work on December 24 in the cases specified in Art. 151¹⁰ of the Labor Code. This includes, among others:
- rescue and uniformed services,
- health care facilities,
- public transport and communication,
- plants operating in continuous motion,
- catering, hotel industry and selected municipal services.
It is worth recalling that the new regulations do not automatically cover people employed under civil law contracts. In their case, the decision to have a free Christmas Eve depends on the provisions of the contract or individual arrangements with the client.
Prepared by DF
