In the Italian holiday calendar, some anniversaries have been canceled over the years, while others have arisen as new days of rest. This is the case of October 4, dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, which has become a new national holiday since 2026. But what happens to holidays when they don’t result in the closure of offices and factories? And how are they managed on the pay slip? To answer, it is necessary to distinguish between suppressed holidays and holidays not enjoyed: the former are occasions which have lost the character of a public holiday and which, in many collective agreements, give the right to paid leave, generally indicated on the pay slip as former holidays; the latter, however, are holidays recognized by law that the worker was not actually able to enjoy, for example because they coincided with the weekly rest day or because he worked. Two different situations, which follow specific rules: in the first case, hours of leave can accrue to be used or monetized according to the CCNL applied; in the second case, an additional salary or an increase for working on holidays may be due, depending on the circumstances. Both therefore affect the hours of leave accumulated and the economic treatment of workers.
What are the 4 suppressed holidays and how paid leave works
Suppressed holidays (or former holidays) are civil and religious occasions which in the past were recognized as public holidays, but which have lost this status following legislative interventions, in particular with Law no. 54 of 5 March 1977, subsequently supported by Law no. 937/1977. The four religious observances commonly identified as former holidays are:
- March 19, Saint Joseph;
- Ascension (movable holiday);
- Corpus Domini (movable feast);
- June 29: Saints Peter and Paul.
Former holidays also play a role in managing absences from work and pay. In fact, based on the national collective labor agreement (CCNL) applied, employees can accrue a certain number of hours of paid leave to be used during the year. These permits allow you to be absent from work without losing your pay, but they follow precise rules: the collective agreement establishes how many hours you are entitled to, when they can be requested and what happens to those not used within the established deadlines.
The Court of Cassation also recently intervened on the issue of suppressed holidays with sentence no. 5051/2026, bringing attention back to the four days linked to the former holidays. The ruling clarifies that, under certain conditions, these days can be considered paid “holidays”. The principle is relevant because the protection of annual rest must also concern the economic aspect: the worker must not suffer salary penalties for the sole fact of exercising his right to rest.
How many hours of leave are due for former holidays? The answer depends on the national collective labor agreement applied. Many contracts, including those in the Commerce and Tertiary sectors, provide for 32 hours of paid leave per year, equivalent to 4 8-hour working days. These are permits recognized following the suppression of some civil and religious holidays, which took place with law no. 54 of 1977. In other sectors, such as the metalworking or credit sectors, the amount of hours and the related conditions may be different.
Permits are generally accrued throughout the year and, in many cases, calculated on a monthly basis. If the contract recognizes 32 hours per year, for example, the worker accrues one twelfth of the total for each useful month. The hours actually due may vary based on the working period and the contractual hours: in part-time relationships, for example, the number of hours can be re-proportioned. The methods of use also depend on the contract applied and any company agreements. Permits can be requested together with holidays or at other times of the year, for whole days or, when applicable, even for single hours. The CCNL or company provisions may also establish notice periods and specific rules for planning absences.
What are unused holidays and when are they paid in the pay slip
After having seen how the permits for former holidays work, let’s move on to the holidays not enjoyed, which according to the provisions of Law no. 260 of 27 May 1949, and subsequent amendments, occur when a public holiday coincides with a day in which the worker is already at rest, for example Sunday. In these cases, it is not necessarily the case that you will be entitled to an additional day off, but you may be entitled to an additional amount of pay on your pay slip (generally equal to 1/26 of the monthly salary for workers on a fixed salary).
The regulatory reference is law no. 260 of 27 May 1949, which regulates the treatment of holidays. If the employee works on a public holiday, they may also be entitled to increases for public holiday work, in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement. To understand whether additional compensation is due and how it is calculated, it is therefore necessary to consider the day on which the holiday falls, any work activity carried out and the provisions of the CCNL applied.
To understand if an unused holiday has been paid correctly, the first step is to check your pay slip. In fact, the salary can change based on the national collective labor agreement, the organization of the employee’s working hours and the method of remuneration. For those who earn a fixed monthly salary, the pay for holidays that fall on working days is generally already included in the regular pay. However, when an anniversary coincides with a Sunday or Saturday, specific rules may apply, which determine the possible recognition of additional amounts.
But where to find this information? Items relating to holidays may appear in the section of the payslip dedicated to attendance and salary components, together with hours worked and any allowances. Their name and location are not the same for all companies: to verify the amounts, it is therefore important to compare what is reported on the pay slip with the provisions of your CCNL. In this way it is possible to understand if the economic treatment applied is correct and if further sums are due in relation to the holiday.
