Employment Minister Jone Usamate has reminded employers who operate during public holidays to remunerate their workers accordingly.

Usamate reminded employers who were in operation on Diwali and those that will be in operation next week’s Election Day and Prophet Mohammed’s birthday on November 19 to remunerate their workers in accordance with the provisions of the public holiday remuneration under the Employment Relations Act 2007.

He says Employers, who are in operation during these gazetted public holidays, are reminded to pay the workers their public holiday pay in accordance with section 67 of the Employment Relations Act 2007.

A worker who works on public holiday will get a single pay for the hours which he or she has worked during the public holiday together with an additional single pay for the public holiday.

This simply states that if a worker works on public holiday they will get double pay while workers who don’t work on public holiday will get a single pay.

Employers and workers who have agreed on their individual contract or through collective agreement on payment of triple pay for public holiday which is above the minimum terms and conditions stipulated within the ERA 2007 must abide by their agreement.

”If a worker does not work during the public holiday and has worked the normal working day before and normal working day after, then the worker is entitled to public holiday pay.”

The Employment Minister reiterates that if they are unable to attend work before and after the public holiday their absence should be verified by a medical certificate or any other cause acceptable to the employer.