Please note that this is information from the previous year. If you are wanting information regarding public holidays for the remainder of this year (2018) and January next year (2019). Please click here.
As you know, Christmas and New Year public holidays fall on different days of the week each year. Because of this, there is a question around which public holidays are genuine public holidays for penalty rate purposes. Luckily, this year, none of these public holidays fall on a weekend, so as an employer working out what to pay staff is much simpler.
Here at HR Central, we thought that having a list of the public holidays would be handy when considering staff rosters – and what days are and aren’t public holidays as well as a reminder for you to stay on top of correct rates of pays during this time of year…
List of the public holidays over the Christmas and New Year period.
- Monday 25 December – Christmas Day
- Tuesday 26 December – Boxing Day
- Monday 1 January – New Year’s Day
- Friday 26 January – Australia Day
Please note that for the Northern Territory and South Australia public holiday rates will apply between 7pm and midnight on both Christmas Eve, Sunday the 24th of December and New Year’s Eve, Sunday the 31st of December.
What you need to pay for employees who work on public holidays:
Employees get paid at least their base rate for all hours worked on a public holiday and an extra public-holiday rate. The exact rate that you must pay to your employees varies depending on the agreement or award that your business would be covered by. If you need assisting confirming the pay rate you should be paying to your staff, HR Central can assist.
What you have to pay for employees who don’t work on public holidays:
Casual who aren’t rostered to work on a public holiday are not entitled to any payment. However, part time and full time employees who would normally work on a public holiday should be paid their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked if there had not been a public holiday. It is also important to note that, an employee’s roster cannot be changed deliberately to try and avoid making public holiday payments.
Please note that the base rate does not include any loadings, allowances or overtime that may be owed.
If you have a question about Public holidays or any other employee entitlements, call HR Central at 1300-717-721.