'Mondayising' holidays would cost $400m - Dept of Labour

The Department of Labour has advised the Government against "Mondayising" Anzac and Waitangi Day holidays when they fall on the weekend, citing economic costs of up to $400 million.

Prime Minister John Key this afternoon said he'd now received advice from the Department of Labour on the issue after Labour MP David Clark's Members Bill, which would give workers a holiday the following Monday when Anzac or Waitangi Day fell on the weekend, was drawn from a parliamentary ballot last week.

The advice pointed out that the next time either day fell on a weekend was in 2015 and it was not until 2021 that both Anzac and Waitangi Day fell on a weekend in the same year.

The department had told Mr Key the cost to the economy for an individual day if Mondayised was $200 million or $400 million in a year when both were Mondayised.

"The recommendation from the Department of Labour is not to Mondayise them," Mr Key said.

The issue would be discussed amongst National MPs at tomorrow's caucus meeting, before the Government decided whether it not it would support Mr Clark's bill.

Mr Key said he intended seeking further information on the matter including advice that New Zealand was " at the reasonably generous end in terms of the number of holidays we have compared to other countries around the world" apart from Australia.