Holiday bonus also for those who only work on weekends and holidays?

If you have someone on your staff who only works Saturdays, Sundays and holidays… do you know if you are paying them the holiday bonus? And if you are not, do you know if it is correct? The Supreme Court has resolved this doubt, and be warned: the answer is not as obvious as it may seem.

We often take for granted that certain things work with “common sense”, but we already know that the law has its own rules. And this case is a clear example of that.

A recent ruling (STS 165/2025, of March 4) makes things very clear: yes, you also have to pay the holiday bonus to those who have been hired just to work on those days . Not just because it seems fair… but because it is legally so.

Here is a real example.

A cleaning worker, with a part-time contract, worked exclusively on weekends and holidays. Her agreement established a bonus of €21.67 for each Sunday or holiday worked. But the company did not pay it. The argument? That this bonus only applied to those who have a “normal” schedule and occasionally work on a holiday. That those who always do it are already compensated for it within the contract.

The Supreme Court, however, does not agree at all.

What does the ruling say?

The Supreme Court is clear:

• If the agreement does not expressly exclude these workers from the bonus, they cannot be left without it .
• And if there is no other equivalent economic compensation , even less.
• In this specific case, there was neither express exclusion nor alternative compensation .

Conclusion: the company acted with unjustified unequal treatment .

Furthermore, the Supreme Court adds that denying this bonus violates the right to equality (article 14 of the Constitution and article 12.4.d of the Workers’ Statute). Part-time workers have the same rights as full-time workers, also with regard to salary supplements.

Important: Working on weekdays is not the same as always working on holidays. Working on holidays is more expensive, and this must be compensated for.

What should be done?

If you have people hired to work only on weekends or holidays:

• Review the agreement : does it say anything about excluding this bonus in these cases?
• Check the contracts : is there any other compensation agreed upon?
• If there is none of this , and you are paying them the same as everyone else, you may be violating the principle of equality … and this can be taken to court.

It will be necessary to review each case to see how to address this situation.

In summary

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the worker and has clarified an issue that many of us took for granted until now. The bonus for working on public holidays also applies to those who always work on these days , unless there is a contrary regulation or specific compensation.

Do you have cases like this in your company? Does your agreement regulate these supplements? If you want, we can help you review it and make sure everything is correct, before there are any claims.