Content Outline
Overview
The public holidays are among the National Employment Standards (NES). The NES apply to every worker who is under the national workplace relations system irrespective of any award, registered agreement or employment contract.
An employee is entitled to be absent from work on a day or on part day of a public holiday. Employees may not suffer any adverse action for reasonably refusing to work on a public holiday.
Which Days are Public Holidays 2024?
The following days are public holidays under the NES:
- 1 January (New Year’s Day)
- 26 January (Australia Day)
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- 25 April (Anzac Day)
- King’s birthday holiday (the day on which it is celebrated in a State or Territory or a region of a State or Territory)
- 25 December (Christmas Day)
- 26 December (Boxing Day)
- any other day or part-day declared as a public holiday within a State or Territory.
Public holidays vary by state or territory.
Discover public holidays in your state or territory by selecting from the list below.
Australian Capital Territory Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 11 March – Canberra Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday – the day after Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 27 May – Reconciliation Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 7 October – Labour Day
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in the Australian Capital Territory (for example, regional holidays), contact the ACT Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate on 13 22 81.
New South Wales Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 7 October – Labour Day
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in New South Wales (for example, regional holidays), contact the NSW Government on 13 16 28.
Northern Territory Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 6 May – May Day
- Monday 10 June – June public holiday (King’s Birthday)
- Monday 5 August – Picnic Day
- Tuesday 24 December – Christmas Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
- Tuesday 31 December – New Year’s Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
For more information on public holidays in the Northern Territory (for example, show days and other regional holidays), contact the NT Government on (08) 8999 5511.
Queensland Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – The day after Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 6 May – Labour Day
- Wednesday 14 August – Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane area only)
- Monday 7 October – King’s Birthday
- Tuesday 24 December – Christmas Eve (from 6pm to midnight)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Queensland (for example, regional holidays), contact the Queensland Government on 13 74 68.
South Australia Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 11 March – Adelaide Cup Day (subject to proclamation)
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Easter Saturday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 7 October – Labour Day
- Tuesday 24 December – Christmas Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Proclamation Day public holiday / Boxing Day
- Tuesday 31 December – New Year’s Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
For more information on public holidays in South Australia (for example, Sunday public holidays and regional holidays), contact SafeWork SA on 1300 365 255.
Tasmania Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 12 February – Royal Hobart Regatta (only observed in certain areas of the state)
- Monday 11 March – Eight Hours Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Tuesday 2 April – Easter Tuesday (generally Tasmanian Public Service only)
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Monday 4 November – Recreation Day (areas of the state that don’t observe Royal Hobart Regatta)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Tasmania (for example, regional holidays), contact WorkSafe Tasmania on 1300 366 322 (within Tasmania) or (03) 6166 4600 (outside Tasmania).
Victoria Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 11 March – Labour Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Saturday 30 March – Saturday before Easter Sunday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 10 June – King’s Birthday
- Subject to AFL schedule (date TBC) – Friday before AFL Grand Final
- Tuesday 5 November – Melbourne Cup
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Victoria (for example, regional holidays), contact Business Victoria on 13 22 15.
Western Australia Public Holidays 2024
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
- Monday 4 March – Labour Day
- Friday 29 March – Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March – Easter Sunday
- Monday 1 April – Easter Monday
- Thursday 25 April – Anzac Day
- Monday 3 June – Western Australia Day
- Monday 23 September – King’s Birthday (some regional areas in WA hold the King’s Birthday public holiday on a different date)
- Wednesday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Thursday 26 December – Boxing Day
For more information on public holidays in Western Australia (for example, regional holidays), contact the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety on 1300 655 266.
Public Holidays 2024 Overtime Rates and Overtime
Having established a clear understanding of public holiday rates and overtime, let’s see how they act as a tandem to enhance your paycheck. By working in a public holiday and going beyond your work standard hours, you are liable to both public holiday rates and overtime rates.
Rates for normal working hours on public holidays become public holiday rates while overtime rates are used on any hours worked beyond your normal hours. In this sense, you enjoy double pay for every hour worked over the normal number of hours during such a holiday. This is a great opportunity to considerably raise your salary and benefit from the increased salary rates.
For this reason, an efficient work schedule is necessary to benefit from public holiday rates as well as overtime. Indicate the days of the public holidays during the year and analyze how you can make the most out of these days in terms of making money. Negotiate with your employer about your availability and show willingness to work on public holidays in order to take advantage of the increased rates.
What is the Penalty Rate?
Penalty rates is an extra allowance and significant increase in wages that the employees in Australia may get when working on weekends, public holidays, overtime, early in the morning and late at night under an Award, enterprise agreement, or registered agreement.
The specific rate, multiplier and loading to be used in the given industry is clearly stated within the Award or agreement relevant to the industry Award. Know the details of working on public holidays as per your award here.
Different industries have their unique awards, and in this case, we will focus on the restaurant industry. Let’s explore the various accolades associated with restaurants in the following discussion.
Restaurant Award
Under restaurant, employee will covered by the Restaurant Industry Award [MA000119].
For all work carried out on a public holiday, an employee has to be remunerated according to public holiday rates. For the calculation of public holiday pay rates, we recommend utilizing Pay Calculator by Fairwork This efficient tool ensures accuracy and ease in determining appropriate compensation for holidays.
Alternative public holiday payments
Each time a full-time or part-time employee works a public holiday, they can agree with their employer to get one of the following, instead of the public holiday penalty loading:
- loading on their normal pay rate of 25% and
- a day (or equivalent time) off at no loss of pay or.
- a free day (or equivalent time) to add to their annual leave.
If they opt for time off without any deduction in pay, the leave is taken in one of the following ways:
- during the week of the public holiday, or
- within 28 days of the public holiday.
A person receiving an annual salary should receive either paid time off out time added to the annual leave, equal to the time worked, if they work on a public holiday.
Minimum hours on public holidays
Irrespective of the actual hours worked, employees are entitled to receive a minimum payment when working on a public holiday.
- 4 hours for full-time and part-time employees; and
- 2 hours for casual employees.
Minimum hours on part-day public holidays
Minimum shifts and payments generally suggest that an employee is entitled to be paid for a minimum amount of hours on a shift, even if he or she does not work the entire shift.
This will generally be the case for all attendances at work, even if a shift covers both a public holiday and a non-public holiday.
Substituting public holidays
An employer and their employee can negotiate a private agreement whereby a public holiday is substituted for another day.
If a public holiday is substituted, the substitute day becomes the public holiday for which penalty rates are paid only on that day.
Christmas Day substitute public holiday
An employee, whether full-time or part-time, who works on Christmas Day when it occurs on a weekend and is not designated as a public holiday, will receive:
- the Saturday or Sunday penalty loading
- an additional 25% loading on their ordinary pay rate for the hours they work on Christmas Day
- a substitute day.
Check the Restaurant Award for other entitlements that can apply when working a public holiday.
How FastLane Group Can Help?
With the help of a reliable HR payroll service provider, like FastLane Group, you can improve your payroll processes and make sure that the rules of the public holidays are respected. We focus on the precise calculation of public holiday rates and overtime, adapted to the requirements of various awards and agreements in different industries. To find more information on how FastLane Group can help you achieve maximum payroll efficacy and compliance with public holiday, contact us.