Table Of Contents
Last updated on January 17, 2024.
Public Holidays in Panama for 2024
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year |
| January 9 | Martyrs’ Day |
| February 13 | Carnival |
| March 29 | Good Friday |
| May 1 | Worker’s Day |
| November 3 & 4 | Separation Day from Colombia |
| November 5 | Colón Day |
| November 10 & 11 | Uprising of Los Santos |
| November 28 | Independence Day from Spain |
| December 8 & 9 | Mother’s Day |
| December 20 | National Mourning Day |
| December 25 | Christmas |
Where a national holiday is on a Sunday, the Monday afterwards be observed. Workers can have double wages when an employer demands that they perform during any of the public holidays.
PTO
The statutory paid vacation is 30 days. Employees are entitled to 30 days of vacation after 11 continuous months of employment.
The law permits the employer to fraction vacation time into two equal periods, as long as the collective bargaining agreement authorizes it.
- PTO payout at the termination
Employers are required to pay their employees at the termination for each vacation day that they are entitled to.
Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, Parental Leave
Maternity Leave
Pregnant employees are entitled to compulsory maternity leave up to six weeks before childbirth. Total maternity leave must be at least 14 weeks’ duration. If childbirth is delayed, the employee is entitled, after the birth, to paid leave for the following eight weeks.
Employees must apply for maternity allowance a month before the leave start. Employees are required to present a medical certificate issued by an obstetrician-gynecologist.
During maternity leave, the employer cannot alter the employment relationship or apply any sanctions or penalties on the employee. Further, a worker returning from maternity leave cannot be dismissed without justifiable reason during the first year following their return to work. These rights cannot be exchanged or avoided.
Paternity Leave
Employees are entitled to up to 3 days of paid leave.
Sick Leave, Paid Sick Leave, and Family Care Leave
An employee is entitled to 18 paid days off in the case of illness or injury per year.
Jury Duty Leave and Voting Leave (Leave due to Public Interest)
Not specified by law.
Bereavement Leave
Not specified by law.
Military Leave
Not Specified by law.
Please consult your local legal counsel to learn more about Panama Leave Laws.
To learn more about laws in various countries, check out our Leave Laws page.
All materials have been prepared for general information purposes only to permit you to learn more about this region's leave laws. The information presented is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, and may not be current. Please contact your local legal counsel to learn more about the leave laws in your country.
