Can I be made to work on public holidays?
It depends on the field: usually no work, and if you do work, you're compensated. On public holidays no work takes place, except in healthcare units, public food-service units and those whose activity can't be interrupted due to the production process or its specific nature. If you do work on a public holiday, you're entitled to compensation with corresponding time off within the next 30 days. If the employer does not grant the days off for justified reasons, you're entitled to a salary bonus of at least 100% of the base salary for work in normal hours. In 2026, Romania has 17 legal days off (e.g. 1-2 January, Easter, 1 May, 1 June, 1 December, Christmas). In short: usually you don't work on holidays; if you do, you get either a day off or a bonus of at least 100%.
📋 The rules
- Usually no work on public holidays
- Exceptions: healthcare, public food service, continuous production
- If you work: a day off within the next 30 days
- No day off: a bonus of at least 100% of the base salary
- In 2026: 17 legal days off
🔓 Exceptions
- Healthcare and public food-service units: can operate
- Activities that can't be interrupted: can operate, with compensation
- Compensation: a day off within 30 days or a bonus of at least 100%
⚠️ Penalties & fines
If you work on a public holiday and the employer grants you neither the compensatory day off within 30 days nor the bonus of at least 100%, it breaches your rights — you can report it to the Labour Inspectorate (ITM). Granting the day off or the bonus are alternative solutions; the employer can't offer neither. Note that the bonus for working on holidays can't be less than 100% of the base salary for the hours worked in the normal schedule. To know your rights: check whether your field is one where work can take place on holidays, ask for the compensatory day off within the 30 days or, if not possible, the bonus of at least 100%, and keep a record of the days worked. The list of the 17 days off in 2026 helps you plan correctly.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I be forced to work on holidays?
Only in certain fields. As a rule, no work takes place on public holidays. The exception is healthcare units, public food-service units and those whose activity can't be interrupted due to the production process or its specific nature. Otherwise, holidays are rest days.
How am I paid if I work on a holiday?
You're entitled to compensation with corresponding time off within the next 30 days. If the employer doesn't grant the days off for justified reasons, you get a salary bonus of at least 100% of the base salary for work performed in the normal schedule.
How many legal days off are there in 2026?
In 2026, Romania has 17 legal days off, including 1-2 January, Epiphany, Orthodox Easter, 1 May, 1 June, Pentecost, the Assumption, St. Andrew, 1 December and Christmas. Some fall at the weekend, and the rest on working days.
Can I get money instead of a day off?
Yes, as an alternative. If the employer can't grant you the compensatory day off within 30 days, it must pay you a bonus of at least 100% of the base salary for the holiday work. The two solutions — the day off or the bonus — are alternatives, and one of them must be granted.
What if I get neither a day off nor a bonus?
If you worked on a public holiday and the employer grants you neither the compensatory day off nor the bonus of at least 100%, it breaches your rights under the Labour Code. In that case, you can report it to the Labour Inspectorate, which can check and sanction the employer for breaking the law.
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