China Public Holiday 2024 Schedule Released

China has released its 2024 Public Holiday schedule. For 2024, Chinese New Year’s Eve is not included in the official holiday calendar, although employers are encouraged to arrange paid leave for employees that day. We provide the 2024 public holiday schedule in this article, state the compensatory working days, and explain the difference in overtime payment for public holidays and the adjusted rest days.

The State Council released the official China Public Holiday 2024 schedule through its Circular of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangement of Public Holidays in 2024 (see here for the official source) on October 25, 2023.

As is traditional, the holiday schedule features two major week-long holidays: Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New Year) and the National Day holiday (often called ‘Golden Week’).

In 2024, the Spring Festival falls between February 10 and 17, and the National Day holiday falls between October 1 and 7.

To be noted, the Chinese New Year’s Eve for 2024 (February 9, 2024) is labeled as a working day in the official schedule. However, the circular states that employers are encouraged to arrange paid leave on that day for their employees.

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Foreign human resource managers should note that Saturdays and Sundays are often marked as additional official workdays in China to compensate for long holiday breaks.

For example, in 2024, February 4 (Sunday) and February 18 (Sunday) are designated as workdays to partially offset the seven days off for the Spring Festival.

Private companies in China, however, have the right to determine their own schedules—that is, allow for additional days off—so long as the official holiday calendar is maintained.

Official China Public Holiday 2024 schedule

New Year

• January 1, 2024 (one rest day)

Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)

• February 10 to February 17, 2024 (eight rest days in total)
• Employers are encouraged to arrange paid leave for employees on Chinese New Year’s Eve (February 9)
• Adjusted working days: February 4, 2024 (Sunday) and February 18, 2024 (Sunday)

Tomb Sweeping Festival (Ching Ming Festival)

• April 4 to April 6, 2024 (three rest days in total, in connection with one weekend day)
• Adjusted working days: April 7, 2024 (Sunday)

Labor Day

• May 1 to May 5, 2024 (five rest days in total)
• Adjusted working days: April 28, 2024 (Sunday) and May 11, 2024 (Saturday)

Dragon Boat Festival

• June 10, 2024 (three rest days in total, in connection with the weekend)

Mid-Autumn Festival

• September 15 to September 17, 2024 (three rest days in total)
• Adjusted working days: September 14, 2024 (Saturday)

National Day

• October 1 to October 7, 2024 (seven rest days in total)
• Adjusted working days: September 29, 2024 (Sunday) and October 12, 2024 (Saturday)

Overtime payment for hours worked on a holiday

Depending on the type of rest days and the working hour system implemented, the overtime payment rates are different:

• Under the standard working hour system, for work on an official public holiday, not less than 300 percent of the normal wage shall be paid; for work on an adjusted rest day, and where such rest days cannot be postponed and taken at another time, not less than 200 percent of the normal wage shall be paid.
• Under the comprehensive working hour system, for work performed on public holidays not less than 300 percent of the normal wage shall be paid However, no rest day is outlined under this system, so that for work performed on those adjusted working days and weekends, no overtime payments are available.
• Under the non-fixed work hour system, no less than 300 percent of the normal wage shall be paid for work on public holidays. However, there are differences in overtime regulations across different regions. For instance, in Beijing, employees under the non-fixed work hour system are not entitled to overtime pay for hours worked on public holidays. However, in Shanghai, these hours are considered overtime, and employers are required to pay compensation of up to 300 percent of the normal wage.
• For adjusted working days on weekends, no overtime payment is due.

Also read

• China Public Holiday 2023 Schedule

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