HR Central

Public Holidays over Christmas/New Year 

With the festive season fast approaching, it is important to understand employee entitlements regarding public holidays. 

Full-time and part-time employees who have time off on public holidays are paid their base rate of pay for the ordinary hours they would have worked, had it not been for the public holiday. However, a part-time employee is not entitled to payment if their agreed part-time hours do not include the day of the week on which the public holiday falls. 

Working on Public Holidays 

If employees are required to work on a public holiday, then you must ensure they are paid the appropriate penalty rates under the relevant Award. Some Awards, such as the Restaurant Award and Hospitality Award have additional public holiday arrangements for full-time employees, so check your Award(s) to confirm what applies to your business. 

Consult the tables below for the states that apply to you

Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania

Day:	Date:	Title:
Monday	25/12/23	Christmas Day
Tuesday	26/12/23	Boxing Day
Monday	01/01/24	New Year’s Day

Northern Territory

Day:	Date:	Title:
Sunday	24/12/23*	Christmas Eve
Monday	25/12/23	Christmas Day
Tuesday	26/12/23	Boxing Day
Sunday	31/12/23*	New Year’s Eve
Monday	01/01/24	New Year’s Day

Queensland

Day:	Date:	Title:
Sunday	24/12/23*	Christmas Eve
Monday	25/12/23	Christmas Day
Tuesday	26/12/23	Boxing Day
Monday	01/01/24	New Year’s Day

SA 

Day:	Date:	Title:
Sunday	24/12/23*	Christmas Eve
Monday	25/12/23	Christmas Day
Tuesday	26/12/23	Proclamation Day
Sunday	31/12/23*	New Year’s Eve
Monday	01/01/24	New Year’s Day

All States and Territories have a public holiday on Friday 26/1/24 for Australia Day. 

If you have any questions about this article, or would like to know about what we can do to support your HR function, get in touch with our team!

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