Gray & Co. About Panama Public holidays – November 2018 – labour law

Public holidays – November 2018 – labour law


Panama holidays, public holidays, November 2018, independence day, separation, Colombia

Public holidays are upon us in Panama! And for those of you who have been doing business in Panama regularly, you know that November is a month that it’s difficult to get things done!  Offices close. People go on holiday. And the streets are either empty or impassable because of a parade!

For our clients, a simple reminder of which days are public holidays:

  • Saturday – November 3rd
  • Monday – November 5th
  • Saturday – November 10th
  • Wednesday – November 28th

If your office typically closes on a Saturday – then this has no effect on you.  But if your office is regularly open Saturdays: you have two choices:

  1. Close for the public holiday
  2. Pay holiday overtime rates

Likewise, remember that public holidays do apply to maids and home help.  They are entitled to the day off if it’s a public holiday or the extra pay.

Government offices, as always, have special hours during certain days in November.  For example, this Friday – government offices close at midday.  So finish what you need to get done today – or come back to it on Tuesday!

November 2018, public holiday, Panama, holiday, independence, separation, Colombia, Panama, business, holiday pay

What are we celebrating?

Panama’s public holidays

Just a quick reminder what these public holidays represent:

  1. 2nd of November – Day of the Day – basically memorial day. This is a day of quiet & reflection (completely unlike Day of the Dead in Mexico).  Typically, families gather at gravesites and then have a quiet family lunch, etc.
  2. November 3rd – separation from Colombia
  3. 4th of November – Flag Day
  4. November 5th – Colon Day – Celebration of Colon Day remembers the history of independence of Panama from Colombia – as on this day Colombia backed down from attacking Colon.  (For those who didn’t know – Cristobal Colon is “Christopher Columbus”- so this is also an important day in the sense that it is similar to Columbus day – celebrating the founding of Colon – although the celebrations are the independence of Panama from Colombia).
  5. 10th of November – First shout of independence in Los Santos (for the independence of Panama from Spain).
  6. November 28th – Independence from Spain (1821) – after which Panama proceeded to join Colombia, Venezuela & become part of “Gran Colombia”