What public holidays are observed in Myanmar?

What Myanmar law says

Under the Leave and Holidays Act, Myanmar gazettes approximately 21 public holidays per year. The full list is published annually by the President's Office in advance of the new calendar year, with specific dates for the lunar holidays announced as needed. The same list applies to factory workers under the Factories Act 1951 and to office, retail, and hospitality staff under the Shops and Establishments Act.

Public holidays are paid days off for all employees regardless of service tenure or probation status. If an employee works on a public holiday, they are entitled to pay at the holiday rate (typically 3× basic wage under the Factories Act 1951) plus a compensatory day off, depending on company policy.

Major recurring public holidays

The remaining holidays in the ~21-holiday calendar typically include New Year's Day, Kayin New Year, Buddha's Day (Full Moon of Kason), Beginning and End of Buddhist Lent, National Day, and the Myanmar New Year holidays surrounding Thingyan. Specific dates and additional one-off holidays are published annually.

How public holidays affect pay and leave

• Paid day off. Employees receive normal salary on a gazetted holiday whether they work or not.
• Working on a holiday. If required to work, the employee is paid at the holiday rate (typically 3× basic) for the hours worked. See the bucket I overtime pages.
• Holiday on a weekend. The annual notification typically grants a weekday "in lieu" so the holiday is not lost. Always check the specific year's notification.
• Leave during a holiday week. Holidays are not deducted from annual or casual leave balances — they are separate paid days.

Thingyan — the longest public holiday

Thingyan, the Water Festival, is Myanmar's longest gazetted public holiday — typically 5 days in mid-April. Many businesses extend the closure to a full week or more by adjacent annual leave. See Thingyan paid-holiday rules for the operational details.

Edge cases and exceptions

• Lunar holidays moving year-to-year. Full Moon holidays (Thadingyut, Tazaungmone, Kason) shift dates each year; HR systems must reload the calendar annually.
• One-off proclamations. The President's Office may proclaim additional holidays (e.g., elections, special national events). Treat these as gazetted unless stated otherwise.
• Foreign workers. Same holiday entitlement when employed by a Myanmar-registered employer.
• Probation. Holidays apply regardless of probation status.
• Daily-wage workers. Paid for holidays at the daily wage if continuously engaged.
• Shift workers. Holiday-falling-on-shift triggers holiday-rate pay; see holiday work rates.
• Factory vs office. Same holiday list; rate multipliers identical under both sub-statutes.

Frequently asked questions

Does this entitlement apply to employees on fixed-term contracts?

Yes. Fixed-term contract employees in Myanmar receive the same statutory leave floor as permanent employees once they meet the relevant service-tenure thresholds. The Leave and Holidays Act, the Factories Act 1951, and the Shops and Establishments Act do not distinguish between fixed-term and indefinite contracts for leave purposes — eligibility is set by months of continuous service. Contract expiry is not termination, so unused annual-leave balance is encashed at the end of the contract using (monthly salary ÷ 30) × unused-days. See the bucket E pages on fixed-term contracts for the contract-side rules.

How does this interact with payroll and SSB?

All paid leave is treated as ordinary salary income for Myanmar payroll purposes. PIT is withheld through PAYE on every payslip that includes leave pay. SSB contributions (2% employee + 3% employer, capped on a wage base of MMK 300,000/month) continue during paid leave because the employee is still earning wages. SSB contributions pause only during unpaid leave. Encashment of accrued annual leave at exit is part of taxable salary for PIT but practitioners differ on SSB treatment of the lump sum — confirm with the township SSB office on filing.

What records does the township labour office expect?

Inspectors typically request the leave register for the past 12 months, medical certificates for sick leave over 3 days, maternity / paternity SSB filings, final settlement worksheets for recent leavers, and the public-holiday gazette for the current year. Records must be retained for at least 7 years under both the Factories Act 1951 and the Shops and Establishments Act. Keeping a clean per-employee leave file with tagged entries makes inspections quick and defensible. Digital records from a payroll system are acceptable provided they can be printed on demand.

Common leave-law mistakes

• Counting public holidays against annual leave. Holidays are separate paid days; never deduct from annual or casual balance.
• Forgetting to update lunar dates each year. Lunar holidays shift; reload the gazetted calendar every January.
• Missing the weekend-in-lieu rule. Check the annual notification for substituted weekdays when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
• Underpaying holiday work. Holiday-rate is typically 3× basic, not 1.5×.
• Ignoring one-off proclamations. The President's Office can add holidays; monitor for new announcements.