Nicaragua introduces a new public holiday

On 20 May 2022, the Nicaraguan government passed new legislation (Law No. 1118) making Mother’s Day a mandatory paid national public holiday. The new national public holiday will be celebrated on 30 May every year starting from 2022.

Key details

This extra public holiday will bring the total yearly number of public holidays in Nicaragua to 10.

Employees are now entitled to take a paid day off on 30 May to celebrate Mother’s Day. Employees who work on national holidays are entitled to be paid at a rate equal to 200% of their regular daily salary.

In the event of force majeure events or exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, employers may negotiate with their employees to work on a public holiday without extra pay and instead plan for a replacement day off.

Next steps

Employers must update their leave policies accordingly to ensure compliance with the new rule.