Christmas & New Year Public Holidays

Christmas Day Sunday 25 December or Tuesday 27 December 

Boxing Day Monday 26 December

New Years Day Sunday 1 January or Tuesday 3 January

Day after New Years Day Monday 2 January

As Christmas Day and New Years Day falls on Sundays this year, the public holidays are Tuesdayised.

The normal public holiday rules apply as below:

• If a public holiday falls on a day that would normally be a working day for an employee, the employee is entitled to not work on that day and be paid at his/her normal rate.

• If a public holiday falls on a normal working day and the employee works it, he/she is entitled to an alternative holiday (a day in lieu) in addition to being paid at least time and a half for the hours worked.

• If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, and that day "would not" normally be a working day, he/she is entitled to be paid at least time and a half for the hours worked but not an alternative holiday (a day in lieu).

• If an employee doesn't normally work on the day of the public holiday and doesn't work on that day then they are not entitled to receive any public holiday pay for that day.

There is no minimum period of time an employee has to be employed to become entitled to a public holiday and it does not make a difference if an employee is classed as casual, part time or full time.  All employees are entitled to be paid for a public holiday, if the public holiday falls on a day that would have been a working day for the employee.