Ilang araw na lang, sunod-sunod na ang holidays: Bonifacio Day on November 30, then the December rush of Christmas Eve, Christmas, Rizal Day and New Year’s Eve. If you work in a mall, a BPO, a hospital, a restaurant or a warehouse, chances are you will be on duty on some of those days. The good news is that the law says you should be paid more for it. The not-so-good news is that many workers never check whether their payslip actually reflects those premiums.
This guide explains, in plain language and in pesos, how holiday pay, rest day pay, overtime and night shift differential are computed for private-sector employees in the Philippines, using the official rules from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Knowing these numbers is one of the simplest ways to make sure you are earning every peso you already worked for.
Where these rules come from
The basics are in the Labor Code. Article 86 requires a night shift differential of at least 10% of your regular wage for each hour worked between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Article 87 requires overtime pay of at least 25% more than your regular wage for work beyond eight hours, and at least 30% more than the holiday or rest day rate when the overtime falls on those days.
For the 2026 holidays, DOLE issued Labor Advisory No. 12, Series of 2025, which lists the pay rules for every regular holiday and special day under Proclamation No. 1006. DOLE also released Labor Advisory No. 18, Series of 2026 specifically for November 1, November 2 and November 30, 2026. The detailed formulas and coverage rules are in the DOLE Bureau of Working Conditions Handbook on Workers’ Statutory Monetary Benefits.
Regular holidays vs. special non-working days
This is the part most people mix up, and it matters a lot for your pay.
Regular holidays in 2026 (per Labor Advisory No. 12-25): January 1, April 2, April 3, April 9, May 1, June 12, August 31, November 30, December 25, December 30, plus Eidul Fitr and Eidul Adha as proclaimed.
- If you don’t work: you still get 100% of your daily wage, provided you reported for work or were on paid leave on the workday immediately before the holiday. If the day before is your rest day or a non-working day, what counts is the workday before that.
- If you work (first 8 hours): 200% of your daily wage, or double pay.
- If it is also your rest day: 200% x 130%, or 260% of your daily wage.
Special (non-working) days in 2026: February 17, April 4, August 21, November 1, November 2, December 8, December 24 and December 31.
- If you don’t work: “no work, no pay,” unless your company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) says otherwise.
- If you work (first 8 hours): 130% of your daily wage.
- If it is also your rest day: 150% of your daily wage.
February 25, 2026 was a special (working) day, which DOLE treats as an ordinary working day for pay purposes.
The quick multiplier table
DOLE’s handbook gives a guide table you can use to check your payslip. These are the minimum rates for the first eight hours:
- Ordinary day: 100%
- Rest day: 130%
- Special non-working day: 130%
- Special non-working day that falls on your rest day: 150%
- Regular holiday: 200%
- Regular holiday that falls on your rest day: 260%
- Double holiday (two regular holidays on the same day): 300%
For overtime, take the hourly rate for that day and add the overtime premium: plus 25% on an ordinary day, and plus 30% on a rest day, special day or regular holiday. For night shift, add at least 10% of the hourly rate for each hour between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Sample computation in pesos
Let’s use a simple example. These figures are only for illustration and are not the minimum wage in any region. Say your basic daily wage is ₱800 for an eight-hour workday, so your hourly rate is ₱800 ÷ 8 = ₱100.
- Ordinary day overtime: ₱100 x 125% = ₱125 per overtime hour.
- Night shift on an ordinary day: ₱100 x 110% = ₱110 per hour between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., or ₱10 extra per hour.
- Overtime that is also night shift (ordinary day): ₱125 x 110% = ₱137.50 per hour, following the handbook’s method of applying the 10% on top of the rate for that hour.
- Work on your rest day: ₱800 x 130% = ₱1,040 for eight hours.
- Work on a special day, like December 24: ₱800 x 130% = ₱1,040. Overtime is ₱100 x 130% x 130% = ₱169 per hour.
- Special day on your rest day: ₱800 x 150% = ₱1,200.
- Work on a regular holiday, like November 30: ₱800 x 200% = ₱1,600. Overtime is ₱100 x 200% x 130% = ₱260 per hour.
- Regular holiday on your rest day: ₱800 x 200% x 130% = ₱2,080.
- Regular holiday you did not work, but you qualified: ₱800.
So if you work eight hours plus two hours of overtime on Bonifacio Day, a regular workday for you, the minimum you should get for that day is ₱1,600 + (2 x ₱260) = ₱2,120. That’s more than two and a half times your usual daily pay. Over a busy December, these premiums can add up to a real amount, and that’s exactly why you should check.
Who is not covered
These rules do not apply to everyone. Based on the DOLE handbook, holiday pay does not cover, among others, government employees, kasambahay and people in the personal service of another, managerial employees and members of the managerial staff who meet the legal criteria, field personnel whose hours can’t be determined with reasonable certainty, and workers in retail and service establishments regularly employing fewer than ten workers. Night shift differential has its own exclusions, including retail and service establishments regularly employing not more than five workers.
If you are a freelancer or an independent contractor, these premiums generally do not apply to you either, since you are not an employee. Your rates are whatever you agreed with your client. That’s one more reason to price your holiday work properly. Our guide on starting freelancing in the Philippines covers the basics.
Government workers follow Civil Service Commission and Department of Budget and Management rules, not these Labor Code premiums, so check with your HR or agency.
How to check your payslip
- Know your daily rate. If you are paid monthly, ask HR how they convert it to a daily rate. The factor depends on your work schedule and company policy.
- List the holidays and rest days you worked in the cut-off, and the hours. Keep your own simple log on your phone: date, time in, time out.
- Apply the multipliers above and compare with your payslip. Look for separate lines like “Holiday Pay,” “Special Holiday,” “Rest Day OT” or “Night Differential.”
- Remember the timing. Premiums from a late-month holiday may show up in the next payroll cut-off, so wait for the right payslip before you raise anything.
- Ask HR politely first. Many payroll mistakes are honest errors, like a wrong schedule tag or a missed overtime approval. A short message with your computation usually fixes it fastest.
If it’s still not resolved
If your employer refuses to pay what the law requires, you can file a Request for Assistance under DOLE’s Single Entry Approach (SEnA), online through DOLE ARMS or at a DOLE office. SEnA is a free conciliation-mediation process, and you don’t need a lawyer. You can also call the DOLE Hotline 1349 for guidance. Bring your payslips, contract, attendance records and your computation.
Make the extra pay work for you
Holiday and overtime premiums feel like “bonus” money, so they’re easy to spend on the next sale. A better plan is to decide in advance where they go. You could use them to top up your emergency fund, cover your Christmas budget in cash instead of on credit, or start a savings goal like the 52-week money challenge. Taking holiday shifts is your choice, but if you do give up time with family, make sure the peso value is correct and that it goes somewhere meaningful.
Key takeaways
- Regular holiday worked: 200%. Not worked but qualified: 100%.
- Special non-working day worked: 130%. Not worked: no work, no pay unless company policy says otherwise.
- Rest day: 130%. Overtime: plus 25% on ordinary days, plus 30% on rest days and holidays.
- Night shift (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.): at least plus 10% per hour.
- Check coverage. Small retail and service businesses, kasambahay, managers and freelancers may have different rules.
This article is general information only and not financial advice. Rates, rules and fees change, so please verify with the provider or the official agency before deciding.