1. The 2027 Dates
The government's sub-decree sets 22 public holidays for 2027. The two that matter most for staffing are:
| Holiday | Dates 2027 | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Khmer New Year | 14–16 April | Wednesday – Friday |
| Pchum Ben | 29 September – 1 October | Wednesday – Friday |
With a weekend straight after, many employees will ask for extra days to make the long trip home to the provinces worth it. Expect requests for the Monday and Tuesday before as well. Our public holidays and leave guide lists the full calendar.
2. Plan Leave Early
The biggest problem is not the holiday itself — it is everyone asking for the same extra days at the last minute.
- Open requests early: ask staff to request extra days at least 4–6 weeks before.
- Set a limit per team: for example, no more than half of a branch on leave on the same extra day.
- First come, first served — with fairness: whoever worked last holiday gets priority this time.
- Use annual leave: extra days come from annual leave (18 working days a year), not unpaid absence, unless the employee prefers unpaid.
3. Keep Essential Shifts Covered
Restaurants, hotels, security, hospitals and some retail stay open. For these:
- Build a holiday rota with volunteers first — many staff prefer double pay to travelling.
- Spread experienced staff across shifts so each shift has someone who can open and close.
- Confirm the rota in writing a week before, with phone numbers for each shift lead.
For multi-branch businesses, plan per branch — a provincial branch and a Phnom Penh branch empty out at different times. Our multi-branch rostering guide shows how.
4. Holiday Pay
Working on a public holiday is commonly paid at 200% of the normal hourly rate (see our overtime and NSSF guide).
Example: a $300 employee works 8 hours on 14 April. Hourly rate: $300 ÷ 26 ÷ 8 = $1.44 Holiday work: 8 × $1.44 × 2 = $23.08
- Pay before the holiday: many employers pay the mid-month instalment a few days early before Khmer New Year so staff have money to travel. Announce the date in advance.
- Record holiday work separately so it is not mixed with normal overtime.
5. How AttendKH Helps
In AttendKH you set public holidays once — for the whole company or for specific branches — and the attendance system knows nobody is expected that day, so no one is marked absent. Leave requests for the extra days arrive in the app for managers to approve. When someone works on a public holiday, the hours are recorded as holiday overtime, and once approved, payroll pays them at the holiday rate (2× by default).
6. Conclusion
Put 14–16 April and 29 September – 1 October 2027 in the calendar now, open leave requests early, build a volunteer rota for shifts that must stay open, and record holiday work so it is paid at the right rate.
See pricing, download the app from downloads, or contact our team to set up your 2027 holidays.
