🗳️ Work on the day of the Knesset elections: what is important to know
On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Israel will hold elections to the Knesset. Election Day has been declared a national holiday, but this does not mean that all businesses are closed.
If you worked for the same employer for at least 14 consecutive days immediately before the election, you are generally entitled to pay for that day, even if you do not report to work. For some employees engaged in public works in the direction of government agencies, a separate procedure for calculating the period applies.
Some public services and enterprises will continue to operate - for example, transport, medical and rescue services, hotels and restaurants, gas stations, media and continuous production.
Some grocery stores and businesses have operating hours restrictions: grocery stores - until 14:00, bakeries and dairies - until 11:00.
How much do those who work on election day get paid? The law does not establish a single mandatory premium for all cases. In practice, different options are used, for example, payment of 200% or regular payment plus rest hours on another day. The result depends on the applicable contract, collective agreement and the procedure adopted by the employer, so it is better to clarify the conditions in advance.
Foreign workers in a number of industries, including home care, hotels and catering, construction, agriculture and manufacturing, have special rules: Election Day generally does not entitle them to additional time off or increased pay.
If the business is operating, the employer must give employees the opportunity to vote.
For workers specially hired for polling stations and other elective positions, a separate payment procedure is provided; the payment period can be up to 60 days after the election.