Public Holiday Pay in Australia
Your rights to public holiday pay in Australia: penalty rate multipliers, the right to refuse unreasonable holiday work, and how national vs state holidays differ.
Last updated: March 2026
If you worked a public holiday in Australia and were paid your ordinary rate, there's a high chance you were significantly underpaid. Public holidays attract the highest penalty rates under modern awards — often more than double the ordinary rate. This page covers exactly what you're owed and your right to refuse unreasonable requests to work.
If you work in any industry where your employer can roster you on public holidays — this applies to you.
Real example
Scenario: Casual hospitality worker, Level 2. 6-hour Christmas Day shift.
What they were paid: $0.00/hr (ordinary casual rate)
What should have happened: Public holiday casual rate at Level 2 — $0.00/hr
Underpayment: ~$152 for that single shift
Why it happens: Employer pays the standard casual rate. Worker doesn't realise Christmas Day attracts a different multiplier entirely.
What public holidays are you entitled to?
Under the National Employment Standards, all employees are entitled to a paid day off on national public holidays:
- New Year's Day (1 January)
- Australia Day (26 January)
- Good Friday
- Easter Saturday (most states)
- Easter Monday
- Anzac Day (25 April)
- King's Birthday (date varies by state)
- Christmas Day (25 December)
- Boxing Day (26 December)
States and territories have additional public holidays. The ones that apply to you are those of the state where you work.
Public holiday rates by award
| Award | Public holiday rate (permanent) |
|---|---|
| Hospitality Award (MA000009) | 2.25× base rate |
| Restaurant Award (MA000119) | 2.25× base rate |
| Fast Food Award (MA000003) | 2.5× base rate |
| Retail Award (MA000004) | 2.25× base rate |
| Clerks Award (MA000002) | 2.25× base rate |
Rates effective 1 July 2025. Casual rates apply the multiplier to the casual base rate.
If your last public holiday pay looked like an ordinary shift, check your pay now.
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The right to refuse unreasonable public holiday work
Under the Fair Work Act (updated 2023), an employer must request — not demand — that you work a public holiday. Whether the request is reasonable depends on:
- The nature of your role and the business
- Your personal or caring responsibilities that day
- The amount of notice given
- Whether you're permanent or casual
You have the right to refuse if the request is unreasonable. You cannot be penalised for a reasonable refusal.
⚠️ Common public holiday underpayments
Ordinary rate paid instead of the public holiday rate
The most common issue. Many employers pay the standard daily rate without applying the holiday multiplier.
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Double time applied when 2.25× is required
Even “double time” is technically underpayment under some awards. Hospitality and Retail specify 2.25× — meaning 2× falls short on every holiday shift.
Shift crossing midnight not split correctly
If your shift starts before midnight on the day before a public holiday, the public holiday rate applies from midnight — not from when the employer considers the “holiday” to start.
Casual rate calculated without the loading
The public holiday multiplier applies to the casual base rate (including loading). Applying it to only the pre-loading rate is underpayment.
These issues rarely happen in isolation — and even one can result in hundreds or thousands in underpayments per year.
If any of these sound familiar, check your pay now.
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Frequently asked questions
I'm casual — do I get public holiday pay if I don't work that day?
Generally no — casuals are typically not paid for public holidays they don't work, unless the shift was already rostered and then cancelled.
I was paid "double time" on Easter Friday — is that correct?
Check your award. Some awards specify 2.25× — double time (2×) would be underpayment. The difference is real money on every public holiday shift.
What if the public holiday falls on my day off?
For permanent employees, if a public holiday falls on a day you'd ordinarily work, you're entitled to a paid day off or a substitute day. For casuals, entitlement depends on whether the day would have been a scheduled working day.
Find your award
These rules apply across all modern awards — but the specific rates, penalty multipliers, and allowances vary by industry. If you're ready to check your actual pay:
- Hospitality (hotels, bars, cafés, clubs) → Hospitality Award pay rates
- Fast food and takeaway → Fast Food Award pay rates
- Restaurants and cafés → Restaurant Award pay rates
- Retail (shops, supermarkets) → Retail Award pay rates
- Admin and clerical → Clerks Award pay rates
- Cleaning → Cleaning Award pay rates
Not sure which applies to you? Browse all awards
Don't guess — public holiday underpayments are often the largest single shortfall.
Enter your shifts and see exactly what you should have been paid.
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General information only — not legal advice. Verify at fairwork.gov.au.
Not sure if you’re being paid correctly?
Enter your shifts and find out in 2 minutes. Free, instant, based on official Fair Work rates.
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