SHARE
COPY LINK

READER QUESTIONS

Reader question: What happens in Austria when a holiday falls on a weekend?

Epiphany is coming up, and for many, the holiday is an opportunity to get some much-deserved rest. This year, though, it falls on a Saturday. What does that mean?

A woman takes a selfie in front of tulips blossoming at Karlsplatz in Vienna
Spring season or der Frühling (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

Like most national holidays, this one also has religious roots. On January 6th, Catholics, Orthodox and Anglican Christians celebrate the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ, hence the name Epiphany, and a celebration of the “adoration of the Magi” when the three kings visited the newborn Christ.

This is why the day is also known as Three Kings Day, or Heilige Drei Könige (literally three holy kings).

Even those who are not religious do enjoy the fact that, as a bank holiday, they get to stay at home and not work for a day.

But this year, the holiday falls on a Saturday, meaning Austrians will miss out on one of their 13 public holidays of the year.

READ ALSO: Five spring destinations from Austria – and the Covid rules in place

The ‘lost’ holidays

For many immigrants, the fact that Austria doesn’t have a “compensation day” if a holiday falls on the weekend can be surprising.

In total, 85 countries, including Belgium, England, Spain, and Thailand, will give a day off to workers if the holiday happens to be on the weekend. In addition, Austrian neighbours such as Switzerland and Germany have been discussing adopting such measures to avoid stress and give “urgently needed rest” to workers. 

There hasn’t been much talk in Austria about that, possibly because the country has other struggles to fight when it comes to holidays (including the fact that Good Friday is not a bank holiday) and plenty of controversy concerning rest days

READ ALSO: Why is Good Friday not a holiday in Austria?

So what happens when a holiday falls on a weekend in Austria?

First of all, it depends on whether it is a Saturday or a Sunday.

Saturday is technically not a rest day, so people who usually work on Saturdays will have the day off (or get double pay for working on a holiday), and most shops and supermarkets will close.

This is when people will see a significant difference in daily life and in their work life.

READ ALSO: Six tourist scams to be aware of in Austria

However, when a holiday falls on a Sunday, very little changes. This is because Sundays and public holidays are regulated by the same laws. In both cases, stores and shops will be closed, and people who need to work will receive double pay on their basic hourly wage. 

So if a holiday falls on a Sunday, most shops will still be closed as they usually would have been, and those who need to work will receive a 100 per cent surcharge on their hourly wages. 

These are the general rules, but in Austria, much of the labour laws are governed by collective agreements of specific professions. Additionally, the federal regulations determine that exceptions to the weekend and holiday rest can be made for some essential workers, and exceptions can be granted after a specific ordinance by authorities.

For non-essential workers who usually run a Monday to Friday work week, not much changes then, and yes, the holiday on a Sunday would be “lost”. 

However, for these people, holidays on a Saturday are not only lost as rest days, but as possible shopping and grocery days as well – leading to some very long Friday evening supermarket lines.

High quality of life

With the rest day on a Sunday enshrined in Austria’s cultural traditions, workers can be sure that they will have a day to recharge at least one day a week.

But more than that, Austria also has one of the highest numbers of national public holidays, at 13 (with some states having up to 15). 

Workers are also entitled to one “private holiday” a year, which works similarly to a public holiday, but can be taken any day. 

Austria tops the list among the nine countries covered by The Local. At the same time, Germany only has nine national holidays, and some Swiss communes can have as few as five in total.

READ MORE: What are The Local Austria’s ‘reader questions’?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

PETS

How to register your dog for free in Vienna

If you own a dog and have your main residence in Vienna, you need to register it in the pet database—and now you can do so for free. Here's how.

How to register your dog for free in Vienna

Owning a pet in Vienna comes with many responsibilities, especially if you have a dog. These include paying a yearly tax (€72) and following basic rules such as cleaning up after the animal and keeping dogs leashed unless they are in a leash-free zone.

One of the first steps to owning a dog is chipping it (usually carried out by the breeder or shelter where you got your pet from) and then registering it in the pet database. The registration links the dog’s random chip number to your personal information, ensuring you get him or her back if your pet is ever found wandering the streets. 

Registration is mandatory and usually done in vet’s offices for a fee of around €20. However, many dogs are not registered in Austria.

READ ALSO: What are Austria’s rules for owning pets?

Every year, 500 stray dogs are found and temporarily brought to the animal shelter, where their microchips are read. The information is then compared with the pet database.

“It is noticeable that runaway dogs are often already chipped but not registered in the pet database, even though the Animal Welfare Act requires this,” Ruth Jily, Head of the Veterinary Office, told broadcaster ORF. Because of that, around 60 percent of the dogs cannot be returned to their owners.

What about cats?

Not all cats need to be registered, only those considered “breeding cats”. However, it’s important to note that unneutered outdoor cats are considered breeding cats and must be chipped and registered.

You can also chip and register your house cat. This will help you find them and safely return them to you in case they go outdoors and become lost. 

Free registration of dogs

To encourage dog owners, the city of Vienna has started a new campaign that will run until the end of October 2024. Pet owners can register their dogs for free.

From the end of March to October 2024, Stadtservice Wien and TierQuarTier Wien will be offering free registration of your dogs in the pet database. Stadtservice Wien provides this service in all districts. You can check the locations and dates HERE.

Your dog must already be chipped to register, as dogs cannot be chipped on-site.

People with a valid ID Austria (successor to the Handysignatur) can register their chipped dog online with Stadtservice Wien’s support. Registration is also possible with the basic function of the ID Austria.

READ ALSO:  How to move to Austria with your pets

All others can fill out a registration form on-site. 

You will need a photo ID (e.g. driving license or passport) and proof of the dog’s chip number (e.g. vaccination certificate). The dog itself can stay at home. If you bring your dog with you, it must wear a muzzle, be on a lead and wait outside the Stadtservice Wien mobile office.

SHOW COMMENTS