Public Holiday Pay: Who Qualifies and What You Get

Public Holiday Pay is a workplace protection that ensures employees are compensated with either time off or extra pay when a public holiday occurs.

👤Who it's for

This entitlement is available to all employees. It is a standard protection designed to ensure that workers are not financially disadvantaged when a national holiday occurs.

🎁What you get

The benefit you receive depends on whether you are working or staying home. If a public holiday falls on a day you would normally work, you are entitled to a paid day off. If your employer requires you to work on that public holiday, you should receive time-and-a-half pay for the hours worked, plus a day in lieu. A day in lieu is an alternative day off that you can take at a later date to make up for the holiday you worked.

💰What it costs you

There is no cost to you to receive these entitlements. This is a standard right provided to workers under employment protections.

⚠️The catch to know

The most important thing to understand is the relationship between your normal schedule and the holiday. You only receive paid time off or holiday pay if the holiday falls on a day you would normally be scheduled to work. If the holiday falls on a day you are not usually working, you do not have an entitlement to pay or time off for that specific day.

📝How to apply

1. Review your employment agreement to confirm which days you are regularly scheduled to work.
2. Check your upcoming calendar to see if any public holidays fall on those scheduled work days.
3. Monitor your payslips to ensure that any time-and-a-half rates or days in lieu are correctly recorded.
4. Discuss any discrepancies with your employer if your pay does not reflect your normal working schedule.