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Costa Rica's August 2 holiday remains unpaid unless worked, payment rules clarified
The Sunday, August 2 holiday in Costa Rica commemorates the finding of the Virgen de los Ángeles. Under article 148 of the Costa Rican Labor Code it is classified as a non‑mandatory paid holiday, meaning employers are not required to pay workers unless they actually work that day.
Payment depends on the employee's salary scheme. Workers paid weekly for non‑commercial activities receive no holiday pay if they do not work, and a simple day's salary if they do. Overtime for these workers is compensated at time‑and‑a‑half. Workers paid monthly, bi‑weekly, or on a commercial weekly basis already have the holiday included in their regular salary; if they work they must be paid an additional day's wage, effectively double pay for the day, and any overtime is paid at double time, resulting in triple overall pay. All employers, whether national or foreign, must grant the holiday and cannot require employees to waive their right to it, as article 11 renders any such agreement null.
Entities
Article 148 of the Labor Code · Costa Rica · Costa Rican Labor Code · Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) · Virgen de los Ángeles
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Workers paid monthly, bi‑weekly, or on a commercial weekly basis have the holiday already included in their regular salary; if they work, they receive an additional day's wage for double pay. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Overtime for workers whose salary already includes the holiday is paid at double time, resulting in triple total pay for overtime hours. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr
- [● 3 SOURCES] August 2 is a public holiday in Costa Rica that commemorates the finding of the Virgen de los Ángeles. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Workers paid weekly for non‑commercial activities receive no holiday pay if they do not work, and a simple day's salary if they work on the holiday. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr
- [● 3 SOURCES] The holiday is classified as a non‑mandatory paid holiday under article 148 of the Costa Rican Labor Code. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr
- [● 3 SOURCES] All employers in Costa Rica must grant the holiday to employees and any agreement to waive it is null under article 11 of the Labor Code. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Overtime for weekly non‑commercial workers on the holiday is paid at time‑and‑a‑half. www.lateja.cr · www.diarioextra.com · delfino.cr