Public Holiday Pay Rates by State: Complete 2025-2026 Guide

Public holidays are one of the most expensive days on the payroll calendar. An employee who earns $23.23 per hour on a regular weekday costs $52.27 per hour on a public holiday under the Hospitality Award — or $58.08 if they are casual. Multiply that across a full roster and you can see why getting public holiday pay wrong is both common and costly.

Adding to the complexity, Australia does not have a single list of public holidays. There are 8 national public holidays, but every state and territory adds its own. Some of those state holidays apply to the entire state, others only to specific regions. And the rules for substitute days, part-day holidays, and additional local holidays differ by jurisdiction.

This guide covers every public holiday across every state and territory for the 2025-2026 period, the pay rates that apply under the most common Modern Awards, and the rules employers need to follow.

National Public Holidays (All States and Territories)

These 8 public holidays apply across Australia under section 115 of the Fair Work Act 2009:

*The Queen's Birthday public holiday is observed on different dates depending on the state or territory. Western Australia calls it the King's Birthday.

Note on Easter Saturday: The NES lists the Saturday before Easter Sunday as a national public holiday. This means all states and territories observe it, even though some state legislation does not separately list it.

State-by-State Public Holidays

New South Wales

NSW also observes local public holidays in specific council areas. The most common is the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) equivalent — but that is Queensland. NSW local holidays are proclaimed by the Governor and typically affect small regional areas. Check the NSW Government Gazette for specifics.

Total public holidays in NSW: 9 (plus any applicable local holidays)

Victoria

Melbourne Cup Day is a full public holiday in the Melbourne metropolitan area. Outside metro Melbourne, many regions substitute the Melbourne Cup holiday for a local holiday (such as a local show day or recreation day). The specific local day varies by council area.

AFL Grand Final Friday was introduced as a public holiday in 2015. The date is usually confirmed mid-year once the AFL Grand Final date is finalised.

Total public holidays in Victoria: 11 (metro Melbourne) or 10-11 (regional, depending on substitution)

Queensland

Queensland is unique in observing the Queen's Birthday in October rather than June. The Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) holiday applies only to the Brisbane metropolitan area. Outside Brisbane, a local show holiday is gazetted for each region.

Total public holidays in Queensland: 9-10 (depending on local show holiday)

South Australia

Important: South Australia observes Proclamation Day on the same date as Boxing Day (26 December) or on the substitute day. This does not mean employees get double penalty rates — it is one public holiday, not two. However, if Boxing Day falls on a Saturday and the substitute is Monday 28 December, both Saturday 26 December (actual Boxing Day) and Monday 28 December could be public holidays depending on the interpretation. Check the SA Holidays Act for the specific year.

Total public holidays in South Australia: 11

Western Australia

Western Australia is the only state that calls the sovereign's birthday holiday "King's Birthday" (matching the current monarch). It is also observed later than in other states — in September rather than June.

WA does not have Easter Saturday as a separate state public holiday, but the national NES provision covers it.

Total public holidays in Western Australia: 9

Tasmania

Tasmania splits into north and south for some holidays. The Royal Hobart Regatta applies only to southern Tasmania. Recreation Day applies only to northern Tasmania (where the Regatta is not observed).

Total public holidays in Tasmania: 10

Northern Territory

The NT observes a Show Day public holiday that varies by region (Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin/Palmerston each have their own date).

Total public holidays in the Northern Territory: 11-12

Australian Capital Territory

Total public holidays in the ACT: 12

Public Holiday Pay Rates Under Common Awards

The penalty rate for working on a public holiday depends on the applicable Modern Award and the employee's employment type. Below are the public holiday rates for the five most common awards.

Public Holiday Rates Table (Based on Level 1 / Entry-Level Base Rate of $23.23/hr)

The Clerks Award stands out with the highest public holiday rates of any of the top five awards — 250% for permanent staff and 275% for casuals.

What About Employees Who Do Not Work on a Public Holiday?

Under the NES, permanent (full-time and part-time) employees are entitled to be absent from work on a public holiday and still receive their base rate of pay for the ordinary hours they would have worked (section 116, Fair Work Act).

A full-time employee who normally works Mondays and a public holiday falls on a Monday is entitled to a paid day off at their base rate. The employer does not have to pay penalty rates for a day not worked — only the base rate for ordinary hours.

Casual employees are not entitled to payment for public holidays they do not work. They only receive public holiday penalty rates if they actually work on the day.

Can an Employer Require an Employee to Work on a Public Holiday?

Under section 114 of the Fair Work Act, an employer can request an employee to work on a public holiday, but the employee can refuse if the request is not reasonable or the refusal is reasonable.

Factors that determine reasonableness include:

• The nature of the employer's business (whether it ordinarily operates on public holidays)
• The employee's personal circumstances, including family responsibilities
• Whether the employee could reasonably expect to be required to work
• Whether the employee is entitled to penalty rates or other compensation
• The amount of notice given

In practice, hospitality, retail, and healthcare businesses routinely roster staff on public holidays. An experienced restaurant worker who accepted the job knowing weekend and public holiday work was expected would have a hard time refusing a reasonable request to work Christmas Day.

Substitute Days: When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend

When a national public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the rules for substitute days depend on both the NES and state legislation.

General rule under the NES: If a public holiday falls on a day that is not an ordinary working day for the employee, and a substitute day is gazetted under state law, the substitute day is the public holiday for that employee.

But it is more complicated than that. Some state laws declare that both the actual day and the substitute day are public holidays. In those cases, an employee who works on the actual Saturday and the substitute Monday could be entitled to public holiday rates on both days.

In 2026, Anzac Day falls on a Saturday. In most states, the following Monday (27 April 2026) will be gazetted as the substitute public holiday. An employee who works both Saturday 25 April and Monday 27 April may be entitled to public holiday rates on both days, depending on the state.

Bottom line: Check the specific state legislation each year for substitute day rules. Do not assume a one-size-fits-all approach.

Part-Day Public Holidays

Some states observe part-day public holidays. The most significant is Christmas Eve in South Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, where a part-day public holiday applies from 6pm (SA) or 6pm (QLD) or 7pm (NT) on 24 December.

For employees working during the part-day public holiday period, public holiday penalty rates apply for hours worked from the designated start time onward.

For employers with operations across multiple states, this creates a compliance headache: staff in Melbourne finishing at 9pm on Christmas Eve earn ordinary rates, while staff in Brisbane finishing at 9pm earn public holiday rates from 6pm onward.

Practical Tips for Managing Public Holiday Pay

1. Build a public holiday calendar for your state at the start of each financial year

List every public holiday that applies to your specific location, including local and regional holidays. Update your payroll system with these dates before the first pay run of the year.

2. Check for part-day public holidays

If you operate in SA, QLD, or the NT, ensure your payroll system can handle mid-shift rate changes on part-day public holidays like Christmas Eve.

3. Record whether employees work on public holidays or are absent

Your payroll records need to distinguish between a paid public holiday absence (base rate) and working on a public holiday (penalty rate). These are different pay codes with very different costs.

4. Account for overtime on public holidays

If an employee works overtime on a public holiday, the overtime rate and the public holiday rate do not stack. The employee receives the higher of the two rates. Under most awards, the public holiday rate (225% or 250%) exceeds the standard overtime rate (150% or 200%), so the public holiday rate usually prevails.

5. Review casual rosters before public holidays

Casual employees on public holidays cost 2.5 times their base rate. If the shift can be covered by a permanent employee (who would receive 2.25 times base rate), the cost difference adds up over a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do casual employees get public holiday pay if they do not work?

No. Casual employees are only paid for hours actually worked. If a casual does not work on a public holiday, they receive no payment for that day. This contrasts with permanent employees, who receive their base rate for the ordinary hours they would have worked.

What is the penalty rate for working on a public holiday?

It depends on the award. Under the Hospitality, Restaurant, Retail, and Fast Food Awards, permanent employees earn 225% and casuals earn 250% of the base hourly rate. Under the Clerks Award, permanent employees earn 250% and casuals earn 275%.

Are state public holidays paid the same as national public holidays?

Yes. Under the NES and Modern Awards, all gazetted public holidays attract the same penalty rates regardless of whether they are national or state-specific. Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria, for example, attracts the same penalty rate as Christmas Day.

Can an employer and employee agree to substitute a public holiday?

Yes. Under section 115(2) of the Fair Work Act, an employer and employee can agree to substitute a public holiday for another day. The agreement must be genuine. Once substituted, the replacement day becomes the public holiday for penalty rate purposes, and the original day is treated as an ordinary working day.

What happens if a public holiday falls during annual leave?

If a public holiday falls during a period of annual leave, the employee is not on annual leave for that day — they are on a public holiday. The day is not deducted from their annual leave balance. Instead, they receive their base rate for the public holiday (or, if the employer requires them to work, the public holiday penalty rate).

Do all employees in Victoria get Melbourne Cup Day off?

No. Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday in the Melbourne metropolitan area and some parts of regional Victoria. Outside the metropolitan area, many councils substitute a local holiday (such as a local show day) for Melbourne Cup Day. Check whether your business location is in the gazetted area.

How do I calculate public holiday pay for a part-time employee?

A part-time employee is entitled to a paid day off on a public holiday only if the holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work. If a part-time employee normally works Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and a public holiday falls on a Tuesday, they are not entitled to payment for that day. If the public holiday falls on a Monday, they receive their base rate for their ordinary Monday hours.

Calculate public holiday rates for any award with the AirComply Calculator — enter the award, classification level, and day to see the exact dollar amount payable, including casual loading where applicable.