Public holidays
Myth: If an employee is sick before or after a public holiday, they don’t get paid for the public holiday
Fact: Normal sick leave rules apply for the day before or after a public holiday. If an employee usually works on the public holiday and is sick, they must be paid for the public holiday.
Read: 5 things to know about public holidays during the Christmas and New Year period.
Public holidays can be different depending on the state or territory you work in.
It's important to know when public holidays are because employees can get different entitlements on these days.
You can calculate these entitlements using our Pay Calculator.
Go to our List of public holidays page for a full list of public holidays in your state or territory.
Public holidays coming up in the next few months in your state or territory include:
Australian Capital Territory
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
New South Wales
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
Northern Territory
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
Queensland
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
South Australia
- Monday 24 December - Christmas Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day/Proclamation Day
- Monday 31 December - New Year's Eve (from 7pm to midnight)
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
Tasmania
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
Victoria
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
Western Australia
- Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day
- Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day
- Tuesday 1 January 2019 - New Year's Day
Working outside your state or region on a public holiday
An employee is entitled to public holidays depending on where they are based for work not where they are working on the day of the public holiday.
Example: Employee working outside their state on a day that is a public holiday
Cass is an employee of a business located in Melbourne. She has been sent to Sydney to perform work during November. During her interstate visit, the Melbourne Cup public holiday is observed. As Cass's base of employment is Melbourne, she is entitled to the public holiday entitlements for that day, even though it is not a public holiday where she is physically working.
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