Good Thursday and Good Friday Legal Holidays With Double Pay
Yesterday and today, Good Thursday and Good Friday, are legal holidays in Costa Rica and anyone obligated to work during the two days are to be paid double their normal salary, according to the Ministerio de Trabajo (Labour Ministry).

Good Thursday and Good Friday are classed as holidays with "pago obligatorio", which means that any employee who is expected to work on either day has to be paid a double salary, while holidays that deemed "no obligatorio", like August 2 - Celebración Virgen de los Ángeles and October 12 - dia de las razas, for example, workers only receive their normal salary if they are required to work on those days.

The double pay is approved by the Ministerio de Trabajo and workers and employers can obtain information at the website www.leylaboral.com.

The days of "pago obligatorio" in Costa Rica are:

- New Years, January 1;
- Día de Juan Santamaría, April 11;
- Good Thursday;
- Good Friday;
- Día Internacional del Trabajo, May 1;
- Anexión del Partido de Nicoya a Costa Rica, July 25;
- Día de la Madre, August 15;
- Conmemoración de la independencia de Costa Rica, September 15;
- Christmas day, December 25.

When the April 11, July 25, August 15 and October 12 holidays fall within the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday) the legal holiday is moved to the following Monday.

The website www.leylaboral details the different holidays and workplace conditions in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Though the site is in Spanish, there is an English summary available.

The site also lists a summary of minimum salaries as established by the Ministerio de Trabajo and in effect as of January 1, 2007. A detailed list of salaries is available at the Trajabo website:  www.ministrabajo.go.cr/

The same website explains the rules for domestic workers: a domestic worker has the right to only a half day off on Good Thursday and Good Friday. An employer who asks a domestic worker to work the entire day, can do so, with the right to be paid the regular pay for the extra time at work.