Working Good Friday in Hospitality — What's the Rate?
Last updated: March 2026 · MA000009
2.25× your ordinary rate. Good Friday is a national public holiday, and the Hospitality Award specifies a public holiday rate of 2.25 times the ordinary rate. If you were paid your standard rate, a weekend rate, or even double time — you were underpaid.
If you worked Good Friday in any hospitality venue — this applies to you.
The rule
Good Friday is a national public holiday under the National Employment Standards. Under the Hospitality Award (MA000009), the public holiday rate for all adult employees is 2.25× the ordinary rate.
This is applied to:
- The ordinary hourly rate for permanent employees
- The casual base rate (including 25% loading) for casual employees
What Good Friday should pay
| Level | Permanent | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $0.00/hr | $0.00/hr |
| Level 2 | $0.00/hr | $0.00/hr |
| Level 3 | $0.00/hr | $0.00/hr |
| Level 4 | $0.00/hr | $0.00/hr |
| Level 5 | $0.00/hr | $0.00/hr |
Rates effective 1 July 2025.
Example
6-hour Good Friday shift, Level 2 casual = 6 × $0.00 = $0.00
If you received significantly less than this for a Good Friday shift, Check your Good Friday pay →
What this costs you
The difference between double time (2×) and the correct rate (2.25×) is 0.25× your ordinary rate per hour. At Level 2 permanent over an 8-hour Good Friday shift: approximately $0.00 underpaid. Multiply across Easter Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Australia Day — the annual total from this single multiplier error is often $200–$300.
What to check on your payslip
- Does a public holiday rate line appear for your Good Friday shift?
- Is the rate 2.25× your ordinary rate — not 1.5× or 2×?
- If you worked Easter Saturday as well, that day may be a public holiday in your state — check applicable state public holidays.
Frequently asked questions
My employer paid me double time on Good Friday — is that right?
No. The Hospitality Award specifies 2.25× — double time (2×) falls short. The difference on an 8-hour shift at Level 2 is over $45.
What about Easter Saturday?
Easter Saturday is a public holiday in some states but not others. The applicable rate depends on the state where you work.
I wasn't asked to work but Good Friday would have been my ordinary working day — am I owed anything?
If you're a permanent employee, yes — you're entitled to a paid day off on Good Friday if it falls on a day you'd ordinarily work.
Don't guess — calculate what Good Friday should have paid.
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General information only. Verify at fairwork.gov.au.