Peru clarifies: Friday, August 7, is a working day despite national holiday

Peru is set to observe a national holiday on Thursday, August 6, in commemoration of the Battle of Junín. This date is a paid holiday according to labor regulations.

However, questions have arisen regarding whether Friday, August 7, will also be a non-working day, creating a long weekend. Current legislation clarifies that Friday, August 7, will be a normal working day for both public and private employees. This means that government offices and businesses are expected to operate as usual, unless individual employers establish different internal arrangements.

The government's decision to not declare August 7 as a holiday follows a trend of reducing additional non-working days. This strategy aims to stimulate domestic tourism by encouraging travel within the country. In previous years, the government had declared more extraordinary non-working days to facilitate longer weekends and promote internal travel.

According to Supreme Decree No. 075-2026-PCM, published in the official gazette El Peruano, the government only declared Monday, July 27, as an additional non-working day for the current year. This contrasts with earlier years when several extra days off were granted to boost tourism.

Following the August 6 holiday, Peru's remaining mandatory rest days for the year include October 8 (Combat of Angamos), November 1 (All Saints' Day), December 8 (Immaculate Conception), December 9 (Battle of Ayacucho), and December 25 (Christmas). Therefore, Friday, August 7, will remain a working day, and no extended holiday period is scheduled for that week.