Upcoming Public Holidays

Upcoming Public Holidays

The above are upcoming Spring and Christmas/New Year public holidays. Entitlements to public holidays comes down to the ‘Otherwise Worked Day Test’ or day normally worked by an employee and that you can only get one public holiday per public holiday. For Monday to Friday workers Boxing Day this year is ‘Mondayised‘ and observed on Monday December 28 2026.

If employees normally work in weekend

If the employee normally worked on the Saturday or Sunday, the public holiday stays on that day.

This means the public holiday for weekend workers applies on the weekend day, not on Monday. Monday is treated as a normal day.

If employee works a public holiday

If the employee works on the public holiday (Saturday or Sunday) on days that are otherwise worked, they:

• are paid at least time and a half, and
• get an alternative holiday.

What happens on Monday

For workers who work weekend days, Monday is treated as a normal day, not a public holiday. If they work on Monday, they get paid their normal rate (based on what’s in their employment agreement).

If the employer closes the workplace on that day, employees who would otherwise have worked may still have an entitlement to payment, annual leave by agreement, or treatment under a lawful annual closedown arrangement, depending on the employment agreement and the circumstances of the closure.

If workplace closed on Monday

Some workplaces close on the Monday to provide a three-day weekend and/or be part of a Christmas/New Year closedown.

Instead of having some staff off and others working, the employer may choose to close the workplace for everyone. The employer can only close if:

• it’s in the employment agreement, and
• they do it in good faith and follow a fair process.

If the workplace closes and the employee would have worked that day, the employer still has to pay them (unless the employment agreement says otherwise).

The employee and employer can also agree for the employee to use annual leave for that day instead. Where a lawful annual closedown applies, an employer may require that employees take annual holidays during the closedown provided at least 14 days' notice is given.

If the employee does not usually work on the weekend

If the employee would not have worked on the weekend, the public holiday moves to another day. This is because the weekend day is not an otherwise working day for them.

This is called ‘Mondayisation’. It means the public holiday applies on Monday (or sometimes Tuesday when Christmas Day and Boxing day both fall on the weekend), not on the weekend.

The weekend day (Saturday or Sunday) is treated as a normal day, not a public holiday.

If the employee works on the moved public holiday

If the Monday (or Tuesday) is an otherwise working day the employee would have worked), they:

• are paid at least time and a half, and
• get an alternative holiday (paid day off the employee can take later).

If it is not an otherwise working day, they:

• are paid at least time and a half, and
• do not get an alternative holiday.