Payment for Pre-Holiday Working Hours in Lithuania: Labor Code Amendments Effective November 2026

On 25 June 2026, the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania adopted Law No. XV-1058 amending the Labor Code (TAR No. 2026-11231). Article 10 of this act amends Article 112, Part 6 of the Labor Code, effective 1 November 2026. The amendment establishes unambiguous statutory rules for compensating the mandatory one-hour pre-holiday reduction and calculating related overtime.

Under the amended provisions, the working day immediately preceding a public holiday is reduced by one hour (except for employees already working under statutory reduced working time norms), while full regular remuneration is preserved.

For employees paid on an hourly basis, compensation cannot be reduced due to the shortened shift; employers must pay the standard hourly rate for the unworked hour. For employees subject to piece-rate or output-based compensation, employers are legally required to calculate and pay their average wage (VDU) for this shortened hour.

In continuous-operation businesses—such as manufacturing plants, logistics centers, and retail stores—where shifts cannot be shortened due to operational continuity, the worked pre-holiday hour constitutes overtime. Pursuant to Article 144, Part 1 of the Labor Code, this hour must be compensated at a rate of no less than 1.5 times the employee's regular wage. Under cumulative working time arrangements (suminė darbo laiko apskaita), this overtime hour must be accounted for and paid out in the current month rather than at the end of the multi-month reference period.

Employers must adjust their timesheet recording standards and payroll system formulas in accordance with the amended statutory requirements of Article 112, Part 6.