Staff are paid for a public holiday even when they don’t work it — and at penalty rates when they do. Work out the cost either way, and across the year.
traqR timesheets record hours against the day and job, so public holiday hours are easy to spot and pay correctly.
Start free trialIf an employee would normally work a day that falls on a public holiday, they’re entitled to their ordinary pay for it under the NES — even though they don’t work.
If they do work the public holiday, most awards pay a penalty rate — often 250% (double time and a half) — for the hours worked.
Across 10–13 public holidays a year, the difference between paying ordinary pay and penalty rates adds up — worth planning your holiday rosters around.
Yes. Under the National Employment Standards, an employee who would ordinarily work on the day a public holiday falls is entitled to be paid their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked — even if they don’t work. This applies to full-time and part-time employees.
It depends on the award or agreement, but many trade and building awards pay 250% (double time and a half) for hours worked on a public holiday. Some provide time off in lieu as an alternative. Always check the specific award that covers your employee.
You can make a reasonable request for an employee to work a public holiday, and they can reasonably refuse. What’s reasonable depends on things like the nature of the work, the employee’s personal circumstances, whether they’re paid penalties, and how much notice was given. Forcing the issue without regard to those factors is risky.
A casual who doesn’t work the public holiday generally isn’t paid for it, since they have no guaranteed hours. If a casual does work, they’re entitled to the public holiday penalty rate under the award, usually on top of their casual loading.
This calculator is a general estimate, not payroll or legal advice. Public holiday entitlements, penalty rates and rules vary by award, agreement, state and employment type. Confirm against the National Employment Standards and the relevant Fair Work award.
traqR timesheets record hours against the day and job, so public holiday pay is easy to identify and get right. Try it free for 14 days.