In China, make-up workdays are weekend days temporarily reassigned as working days to extend public holidays into continuous blocks. By shifting adjacent Saturdays or Sundays into the workweek, authorities build longer breaks—especially for Spring Festival and the October Golden Week—without increasing the total number of statutory holidays. This guide explains how the system works, where to find official notices, how calendars label the changes, and how to plan around them.

What are make-up workdays?

Make-up workdays (often called “working Saturdays” or “compensatory workdays”) are weekend days that the government designates as regular working days. They compensate for additional days off bundled around a statutory holiday. The result is a continuous holiday stretch—frequently 5–8 days—created by shifting rest days rather than adding new ones.

Think of it as a trade: you work a Saturday (and sometimes a Sunday) before or after a big holiday, and in return you get a longer, uninterrupted holiday period in the week.

Why does China reassign weekends?

China’s public holidays total roughly 11 statutory days per year (e.g., New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming, Labor Day, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn, and National Day). Holiday schedule adjustments redistribute surrounding weekends to create longer blocks of time off that:

• Facilitate family reunions and long-distance travel during Spring Festival
• Support domestic tourism and consumption during Golden Week
• Reduce midweek disruptions by consolidating breaks into fewer, longer periods

The effect is familiar to anyone who has used a “bridge day” to connect a weekend with a midweek holiday—China just does it at a national scale.

How the system works

1) Annual State Council notice sets the calendar

Each year—typically in late November or December—the General Office of the State Council issues an official notice titled along the lines of: “Notice on the Arrangements for Part of the Holidays in [Year].” This legally establishes:

• Exact dates of each public holiday
• Which weekend days will become make-up workdays
• Which weekdays become extra days off to form continuous breaks

Once published, ministries, state-owned enterprises, schools, and private companies align with the notice. Local governments and institutions may issue supplemental guidance, but the national schedule is the baseline.

2) Shifting weekends to build long holiday weeks

Here’s the typical pattern around major holidays:

• Spring Festival (Lunar New Year): Seven consecutive days off are common. To build this block, one weekend day before and one after may be designated as working Saturdays/Sundays.
• National Day / Golden Week (around Oct 1): Often a 7-day block, occasionally 8 days when paired with Mid-Autumn. Two nearby weekend days usually turn into make-up workdays.
• Labor Day, Qingming, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn: These may form 3–5 day stretches by shifting one or two weekend days.

The key idea: extra rest days during the week are “paid for” by moving some weekend days into the workweek. Over the year, the total rest time roughly balances, but people experience more continuous holidays.

3) Example: What a Golden Week adjustment can look like

Imagine this example arrangement:

• Time off: Oct 1–7
• Working Saturdays: Sep 28 and Oct 12

You get a full week off, including weekdays surrounding the statutory National Day dates—thanks to those two make-up workdays placed on Saturdays.

4) Statutory holidays vs. adjusted days off

It helps to distinguish statutory holidays (legally mandated days off) from adjusted days off created through schedule shifts. For example, Oct 1–3 may be statutory holiday days, while the rest of the break (e.g., Oct 4–7) are adjusted days off. If you work on a statutory holiday itself, special overtime rules apply; if you work on an adjusted weekday or a designated working Saturday, it’s generally treated like a normal workday.

How to read official notices (and avoid surprises)

Official holiday notices are published on central government websites and widely republished by news outlets. Look for three cues:

• “Holiday period” dates: The continuous days off (e.g., Feb 10–16).
• “Adjustments” (调休): The weekdays that become rest days to extend the break.
• “Working days” (上班): Specific Saturdays/Sundays that are designated as normal workdays to compensate.

If you read Chinese calendars, you’ll often see labels like “休” (off) and “班” (work), or “调休” for adjustment notes.

How Chinese calendars display the changes

Most domestic digital calendars and printed planners incorporate the State Council announcement quickly. Expect:

• Color coding: Public holidays in red; adjusted rest days often in a different highlight; working Saturdays marked distinctly.
• Labels: “节日” (holiday), “班” (working), “休” (rest). Some apps show tooltips like “Working Saturday (make-up workday).”
• Sync options: Many apps allow a one-click subscription to the China public holiday calendar so your phone and computer stay up to date.

International calendars may lag or omit the working Saturdays, so don’t rely solely on generic global feeds. When in doubt, verify against the official notice.

What it means for employees, HR, and payroll

• Designated working Saturdays/Sundays are normal workdays: Pay and attendance usually follow standard weekday rules on those make-up days.
• Overtime rules differ by day type: Under national labor standards, overtime pay is typically higher for work performed on statutory holidays (often 300%), and for rest days when no compensatory time is given (often 200%). For regular weekdays (including designated working Saturdays), standard overtime rates (often 150%) apply for hours beyond the normal schedule.
• Scheduling flexibility: Some employers arrange shifts to minimize weekend work or allow swap days. Always align with the official notice and your company policy.
• Schools and public services: Schools, banks, and government offices usually follow the same working-Saturday arrangements, though specific hours can vary by locality.

Bottom line: a make-up workday is treated as an ordinary workday in most HR systems. The “special” days for pay purposes are the statutory holidays themselves and certain rest days when no comp time is given.

Travel planning around make-up workdays

Holiday blocks like Spring Festival and Golden Week trigger some of the world’s largest population movements. Hundreds of millions travel domestically; during Spring Festival migration (Chunyun), total passenger journeys across all modes can reach into the billions when including private vehicles.

Smart timing tips

• Avoid the first and last day of the break: These are peak travel days for trains, flights, and highways.
• Consider “reverse travel” strategies: Visit major cities when residents leave; head to less-popular destinations during peak.
• Book early: Train tickets on 12306.cn/app and popular flight routes sell out quickly around release times.
• Reserve attractions: Many top sites now require or recommend timed reservations; check official accounts ahead.
• Check service hours: Museums, clinics, banks, and offices may change hours during holiday weeks and working Saturdays.
• Mind the make-up weekend: If you’re in China for business, remember that a Saturday could be a full workday with meetings, deliveries, and project work as usual.

For leisure travelers, the days immediately before a make-up working Saturday can be less crowded. If your schedule is flexible, traveling just before the official break or after it ends can significantly ease congestion.

Guidance for cross-border teams

Global companies collaborating with China-based colleagues should plan ahead to avoid project friction.

• Share a single source of truth: Add the official China public holiday ICS to your team calendar. Clearly label working Saturdays and adjusted rest days.
• Adjust milestones: Avoid starting sprints or closing deals on the week of a long holiday; aim for the week prior or the week after.
• Staffing coverage: For support and operations, arrange follow-the-sun coverage so SLAs don’t slip during holiday weeks.
• Logistics: Warehousing, customs, and trucking may pause or back up during long breaks; build in buffer time before and after Golden Week and Spring Festival.
• Communicate early: Send a one-page holiday brief to partners each December once the official notice is released.

Common misconceptions

• “All Saturdays are off.” Not during holiday adjustments. Some Saturdays become regular working days.
• “Make-up workdays mean extra total work.” The system redistributes rest days to form longer breaks; it’s about timing, not adding more work overall.
• “Only offices follow it.” Schools, banks, and many public services also observe working Saturdays and shifted rest days per the national notice.
• “Overtime always applies on Saturday.” A designated working Saturday is a normal workday; standard overtime rules apply only if you exceed normal hours.

How to verify your dates step by step

1. Find the official notice: Search for the State Council’s annual holiday arrangement for the year.
2. List the holiday block: Note the full continuous days off.
3. Mark the working weekends: Write down any Saturdays/Sundays labeled “上班.”
4. Update your calendar: Add both the rest days and the make-up workdays. Share with your team.
5. Confirm locally: Double-check with your HR or host organization for any internal tweaks to hours or shifts.

Pros and cons of the make-up workday system

Advantages

• Long, predictable breaks: Easier for family reunions, long trips, and significant events.
• Economic boost: Tourism and retail benefit from extended holidays.
• Administrative clarity: One national plan reduces ad hoc decisions.

Trade-offs

• Rhythm disruption: Working a Saturday can feel counterintuitive, especially for international teams.
• Peak congestion: Travel crushes during Golden Week and Spring Festival require advanced planning.
• Calendar confusion: Global calendar feeds sometimes miss the working Saturdays, causing scheduling slips.

Practical checklist

• Subscribe to an up-to-date China public holiday calendar for your devices.
• Flag all make-up workdays in team calendars as “Working Saturday/Sunday.”
• Schedule critical deadlines away from Golden Week and Spring Festival.
• For travel, book transport and hotels as early as possible and avoid peak start/end dates.
• Confirm operating hours for banks, offices, and attractions during adjusted weeks.

Key terms to know

• Make-up workday (调休上班): A weekend day reassigned as a workday.
• Adjusted rest day (调休放假): A weekday off granted to extend a holiday block.
• Statutory holiday (法定节假日): A legally mandated public holiday day.
• Golden Week (黄金周): Extended National Day holiday period around October 1, sometimes combined with Mid-Autumn.
• Spring Festival (春节): Lunar New Year; typically a 7-day nationwide break.

Bottom line

China’s make-up workdays shift some weekends into the workweek to build longer, continuous holiday weeks. Once you learn to read the annual State Council notice—and mark those working Saturdays—planning becomes straightforward. Whether you’re traveling, running a supply chain, or coordinating a global project, aligning to this system will save time, money, and stress.

FAQ

What is a make-up workday in China?

It’s a Saturday or Sunday officially designated as a regular working day to compensate for extra weekdays off that create a longer holiday block.

Who decides which weekends become working days?

The General Office of the State Council publishes an annual notice specifying the dates for holidays, adjusted rest days, and make-up workdays.

Do I get overtime for working on a make-up Saturday?

Generally no, because it’s treated as a normal workday. Overtime premiums apply based on day type and hours worked—statutory holidays typically carry the highest rates.

How can I tell if a Saturday is a working day?

Check the official holiday notice and a reliable China public holiday calendar. Look for labels like “上班” (work) on that Saturday.

When is the official holiday schedule released?

Usually in late November or December for the upcoming year, though exact timing can vary.

Do schools and banks follow make-up workdays?

Yes, most schools, banks, and government offices follow the national arrangement, though local hours may vary.

What’s the best way for international teams to plan?

Share the official calendar across the organization, avoid launches during Golden Week and Spring Festival, and arrange coverage for support functions throughout the holiday periods.